


are there still beautiful things?

by captainmitang



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, for now it's just misanayeon in their own little world, it's not all angst i swear but your heart might hurt a bit, oh yeah there is gonna be angst just a warning, other characters and ships will be revealed later, yes this is a soulmate au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 34,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27088180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainmitang/pseuds/captainmitang
Summary: Mina meets one of the world's most notorious couples, Nayeon and Sana, at a party for the regional elite. They take a liking to her, and Mina finds herself drawn to them for reasons she doesn't quite yet understand.alsoSana has a lot of love to give, Nayeon pretends she has none left, and Mina is just trying to figure out how she fits into it all.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Minatozaki Sana/Myoui Mina, Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina, Minatozaki Sana/Myoui Mina, Myoui Mina/Park Jisoo | Jihyo
Comments: 74
Kudos: 261





	1. i loved you first

The yearly party is boring as usual. Nothing more than a show of power and wealth. Dazzling dresses and dress coats. Food cooked tender. Delicacies from around the world. Nothing no guest hasn’t tried before. 

The night is much like walking through a dream. Hazy, and forgettable. Tinged in a golden hue. 

The only entertainment ever comes from the company. The new attendees, that is. Sana has her sights set on one now. A girl dressed in white. Amid the shine and glitz, this girl doesn’t stand out. Her dress is short and simple, showing off her slender legs. Long black hair is tied up into a bun which spills out from the hair tie keeping it in place. In a ballroom of flaunting and inflating egos, this girl seems out of place. Evident in the way she nervously grips at her black clutch, and surveys the small dispersed crowds with hesitation. Sana concludes this woman must be new money. New money with a fascinating story of youth. 

“I’m going to bring her over,” Sana announces to the woman standing beside her, who is currently taking a generous sip of a glass of sangria. 

The woman, dressed in a custom black dress gifted to her by one of the world’s most renowned designers, rolls her eyes before lowering the rim of the glass from her mouth. “Don’t you ever tire of playing with the fresh blood?”

Sana’s eyes are sparkling with innocence, but her smile is mischievous. “Oh please, as if you don’t enjoy it,” she jests. “You’re just too shy to approach them so you always wait for me to do the work.”

It’s puzzling to Sana that in the nearly two centuries that Nayeon has been 25, she has yet to outgrow her timidness. Nayeon will deny it, of course, but she’s never really favored striking conversations with strangers.

“Why put in any effort when my lovely wife is more than willing?” Nayeon asks, giving Sana a mischievous smile of her own. 

It’s radiant, seeing Nayeon smile back at her. But with it, comes a dull ache. The alcohol and lively atmosphere always brings out the teasing tenderness between them, but it will fade by morning when they return home. Sana swallows down that thought as she forces her face to remain pleasant. 

“But if you insist,” Nayeon continues, eyes flicking across the woman in white, “I’ll bring her over. I rather like her, too.” Taking one last sip of her wine, Nayeon hands her wife the empty glass before she saunters over in the direction of the woman, as if only to prove a point. Nayeon is not the same person Sana first met all those years ago, and it feels like she has to remind Sana of that every day. 

“Here for business or pleasure?” Nayeon asks, approaching the mystery woman without so much as a hello. The sound of Nayeon’s voice gives the girl a noticeable start. She clutches at her chest as if in fright. It makes Nayeon’s lips tug upward in amusement. The other girl’s meekness gives Nayeon the boost of confidence she needs. One that always comes to Sana naturally, which Nayeon has always envied. 

“What do you mean?” the girl replies, clearly taken off guard. Her voice is soft and nearly completely buried beneath the live orchestral music. So much so that Nayeon finds herself leaning in slightly. She catches sight of the girl’s light brown eyes. Large and lovely. 

Nayeon simply smiles—a refined and tight one—ignoring the girl’s response completely. “It must be exciting,” Nayeon continues, watching the girl closely to gauge her reaction, “being your first time here.”

The girl plays with the zipper on her clutch, not sure how to react. “It’s an honor, I suppose.” But she says it like it isn’t. 

The smile on Nayeon’s face grows. 

“It gets rather old after awhile. Despite when they try to switch things up every year. Different location. Different theme. It all ends up being the same, one way or another.”

“Why do you keep coming, then?” the woman asks, earnestly. It isn’t meant to be rude, but a question out of pure curiosity.

Nayeon appreciates the bluntness. It’s not something she’s used to hearing in places like this, where people tip-toe around one another for the sake avoiding any pointing fingers and confrontation. “To keep up appearances,” Nayeon waves her hand as she says it. “Nothing more.” 

The girl nods, accepting that as enough of an answer. “It seems that’s the only reason why anyone does anything around here.” She says it as an afterthought, as if forgetting Nayeon is standing in front of her—just a little too close for two strangers who had only just met. 

“You’re getting the hang of this already,” Nayeon notes, nodding in approval while giving the woman an obvious once over. “You strike me as a business type.” Circling back to her first question, like a shark.

The girl shrugs, eyes trained on the black pumps Nayeon is wearing, just barely visible under the long ends of her dress. “Cell phones. That’s what I do, anyway.” 

Nayeon crosses her arms and hums. “An up and coming communications mogel, I see. Perhaps I’ll have to keep an eye out for you.”

The girl purses her lips, clearly thinking of how to respond, when her eyes shift from focusing on Nayeon to something behind her. 

“Honey,” a voice murmurs in Nayeon’s ear, and there’s a familiar hand around her waist. “I thought you were bringing her over, not keeping her for yourself.” It’s said loudly enough so that the girl in white can hear it, and Nayeon knows that’s exactly what Sana wants. 

It has its intended effect. The girl is visibly red as she lifts her eyes to take in the sight of another pretty stranger besides her. First, she notices Sana’s friendly smile, and then the woman’s hand resting softly on top of Nayeon’s hip. 

“We play a game each year to see if we can find the most interesting person at the party,” Sana explains, saving the girl from her nervousness. “I thought that it most certainly had to be you.”

Nayeon has to bite her lip to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She fears she’s rubbing off on Sana in the absolute worst way. 

“I’m Sana, and this is my wife, Nayeon.” Sana extends her hand, and the girl politely takes it. 

There’s no need for last names. The couple are public figures, well known globally. Im Nayeon is the founder of the largest transportation company in the world, specializing mostly in air travel but lately investing in private space ventures. Minatozaki Sana is the founder of East Asia’s most successful modeling and talent agency, birthing some of the biggest icons in the region.

It’s clear the woman recognizes them both, though she doesn’t mention that. 

“It’s a pleasure. My name is Mina. Myoui Mina”.

Mina. A name suiting the girl in white. 

Sana’s grip on Nayeon’s hip tightens slightly. Nayeon knows what that means. 

“I can assure you though, if you really are playing a game to find the most interesting person here, you’ve certainly lost,” Mina adds. 

“I’m sure that can’t be true. Tell us about yourself, Mina,” Sana says. 

It’s the oldest question in the book. A dreadful one. 

“What is there to tell, really?” She bites her lip, pondering. With these two pair of eyes on her, she can’t even remember her favorite color, or the name of the movie she watched last night. 

“Well, you must be one of the youngest people here at least. How many years has it been since you were 24? It can’t have been many,” Nayeon replies, placing a hand on Sana’s bare shoulder while looking at Mina expectantly. 

Mina tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It depends how you define ‘many.’ It will be 11 years this upcoming May.” She says it as if she’s embarrassed. As if 11 years is a long time.

Sana and Nayeon’s eyes flicker to one another, lighting up with something dangerous. 

“11 years isn’t many when you’ve lived 20 times that,” Nayeon replies. There’s a bit of smugness to her tone. 

Mina’s eyes instantly widen as she looks between Sana and Nayeon, surprised. “You’re two centuries old?” She had heard rumors that the couple was old—which is how they had reached such an elite status. Time is a priceless commodity, after all. But, Mina was not expecting this. 

Nayeon and Sana both chuckle at the girl’s question. It wasn’t completely uncommon in this circle for people to be pushing over 100. Mina was new to this circle though. It made her all the more intrigued.

“It’s only been a 150 years for me,” Sana corrects. “I’m not  _ that  _ old.”

But Mina’s eyes are shining with wonder, as she’s never met someone who has lived this long before. She can’t help but feel like the women in front of her are relics of a time long passed. As close to being immortal as a human will ever be. 

Nayeon and Sana can sense the girl’s naivety, and they both smile. They know the rather dull night will at least amount to something entertaining now. 

Sana guides Mina to do most of the talking. The girl’s answers are either brief or aimlessly long—meandering nervously. Mina is clearly a bit flustered, but handles herself professionally regardless. The couple learns that Mina recently became Vice President of her company only a year ago. The company faced major backlash due to user security breach, and so fresh, young faces were needed to fill the positions left by the executives who were forced to resign. 

But Sana and Nayeon don’t care too much for business. They want to know the nitty gritty details. What makes the girl tick. It’s clear they won’t get too far with her as of yet, but Nayeon is determined, taking it as a challenge. 

The orchestral music shifts into something slow and flowing and Sana begins to smile, ears perking as she hears the lovely melody playing. She glances to the empty floor in front of the band. 

Nayeon can see the gears turning in her wife’s head. Mina is oblivious, searching for a topic to fill the silence between them. 

“Would you care to dance?” Sana asks, extending a hand to Mina and looking at her expectantly. 

Mina glances at the empty dance floor, clearly just now noticing the change in background music. The tips of her ears are noticeably red. 

Her eyes flitter to Nayeon nervously, who simply smiles amicably and raises an eyebrow. Curious to see what will happen.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Mina concedes, nodding and training her eyes back on Sana, who is smiling warmly. She can only hope more people will follow their lead and dance around them. But with Sana with her, Mina has a feeling the floor will be full in minutes.

As Mina takes the woman’s hand, she feels oddly comfortable. Though the woman is a stranger, she finds herself following Sana’s lead as if she'd been guided by her many times before. As they make it to the dance floor and hold each other—Mina’s hands resting softly on Sana’s shoulder and waist—Mina sneaks one final glance at Nayeon, who is watching both women closely. 

“Don’t worry about her.” Sana’s lips find themselves dangerously close to Mina’s ear. It sends a shiver down the woman’s spine. “She can have the next dance.”

“I don’t want to keep you away from her,” Mina murmurs, just as Sana begins to sway and they’re gliding across the floor in almost perfect sync. 

That gets a chuckle from Sana, whose eyes are sparkling. “Darling, she’s getting impatient that I’m keeping  _ you  _ away from her.”

Mina can feel her cheeks burning as air wedges in her lungs, refusing to move. Her lips are slightly parted in an expression of confusion. There’s a slight terror, too, but she doesn’t dare speak. 

Sana’s grip on Mina tightens and she brings their bodies even closer together. Demanding attention back on her. And she succeeds. The sight of Sana so near to her continues to steal the air from Mina’s lungs. Everything about the woman is just as gorgeous up close. Mina’s eyes stay glued on Sana, only straying after being spun around, but quickly return as she’s falling back into Sana’s arms. 

Mina’s brief suspicion had been right. Only seconds later, other couples have stepped up onto the floor besides them, swaying to the romantic beat. Sana and Mina are in the middle of the crowd, though no one dares get too close. It’s clear Sana and Nayeon both have an unspoken influence over the night’s proceedings. 

The song lasts only 5 minutes, but it may as well have been forever. In Mina’s mind, Sana’s eyes pierce into hers endlessly. She is breathless by the time Sana’s hands release her, and in a daze she’s following Sana back to the side of the ballroom, away from the dance floor. 

Nayeon is there, arms crossed, lips curled at the ends. “You both did lovely,” Nayeon tells them, as they approach. “You’ve had lessons?” She turns to Mina, tilting her head slightly.

Mina nods, reaching to grab her clutch, which she’d left on the table besides Nayeon. “When I was a teenager, I went through a bit of a dance phase. Ballroom dancing was just one of the many things I learned.”

“One of many?” Sana asks, clearly interested. This is one of the first few personal facts Mina had shared since they all started speaking. Sana moves to stand by Nayeon now, linking arms with her without thought. 

“Hip-hop, ballet—my parents had me practicing since I was a child—modern dance...you name it, I’ve tried it.”

Nayeon is smiling at the thought of a young Mina, relentlessly ready to take on and conquer the art of dance. “Miss Myoui, you are quite intriguing.”

“The most interesting person at the party, indeed,” Sana adds. She takes note of the twinkle in Nayeon’s eyes. There’s something there Sana hasn’t seen in a long, long time. It almost feels like hope. 

Mina is not sure whether to laugh, smile, or roll her eyes. She can not for the life of her understand why two of the wealthiest and most renowned people at this party are taking such an interest in her. Someone who only got invited because the former CEO had passed a few contacts along to her. 

Just then, a couple approaches the group. Two middle-aged men—soulmates, Mina assumes—wearing black tuxedos. Mina squints at them, trying to pinpoint who exactly they are. She had studied up on the guest list prior, trying to familiarize herself with everyone she’d possibly encounter. The whole point of attending this party was to network, after all. But she’d seem to have forgotten that the moment Nayeon sauntered over.

As the two men say hello, greeting Sana and Nayeon warmly, Mina figures they must be acquainted already. Mina bows her head slightly as Sana introduces the gentlemen to her. They’re owners of Korea’s largest commercial food chain. As the four chat, Mina finds the opportunity to slip away as they drift into talking about business mixed with old times. She needs another drink. 

She gets a cocktail at the bar. After thanking the bartender, she feels a hand brush her shoulder. Then, a deep voice in her ear. “You’ll give me the pleasure of a dance, won’t you?” Nayeon asks. Mina’s hand freezes in the process of stirring her drink. The ice cubes in her glass clink together as she turns her head to see Nayeon standing beside her. “After you finish your drink, of course.”

Mina isn’t sure what sort of game Nayeon and Sana are playing, or how she’s wound up in the middle of it. She knows she should be concerned that she’s getting caught up in a spiderweb, but against her better judgement, she finds herself looking at Nayeon levelly. Perhaps it’s the alcohol talking. Or perhaps she’s just gone a little mad. “Only if you let me lead.”

The two look at each for a beat in silence, before Nayeon breaks into a small grin. “It’s a relief you said that. Sana always leads, and I’m afraid it’s been awhile since I’ve danced. I might have been stepping on your feet if I tried.”

Taking a glance to her right, Mina sees Sana across the room, still entertaining those two gentlemen with a lovely smile on her face. It’s clear she’s a natural at it. Nayeon catches Mina’s gaze, watching her wife fondly, but in the subtlest of ways. “Always so gifted at small talk,” Nayeon murmurs. 

“It’s something I need to improve upon,” Mina takes a sip of her drink, looking down at the red-tinged liquid. It feels hopeless trying to network when she sometimes struggles with a simple conversation. 

“It will come with time.” Nayeon gives Mina a smile before she turns to the bartender and orders another drink for herself and Sana. Two more glasses of wine. 

After a brief conversation with another couple at the bar—everyone seems to be in pairs, besides herself, Mina realizes—Mina and Nayeon make their way back to Sana. Nayeon hands Sana her glass of wine and the women clink their glasses together. Sana extends her glass to Mina’s as well, and they ring out softly. 

“Cheers,” she says, before taking a generous sip of the red wine. Nayeon and Mina do the same with their drinks. And they’re back at square one again. 

Nayeon tries to get more personal details from Mina, but the girl seems surprisingly good at dodging and reflecting. And Nayeon herself is also quite skilled at remaining elusive. Her wife though, not so much. Before long, Mina’s gotten Sana to mention their new condo on the West Coast, her favorite memory of Paris, what she and Nayeon made for dinner last night, and the fact that she and Nayeon have been married for over a century. 

A fact that sometimes even Nayeon forgets on occasion. Sana has always just been there. It feels odd to put a number on it. 

Bristling at Sana’s bubbliness and honesty, Nayeon notices Mina has finished her drink and decides to step in before Sana spills any truly unwanted secrets. Or worse, embarrasses her.

“The music now isn’t that slow again, but we can make this work, can’t we?” And Nayeon’s suddenly handing her empty glass to Sana and extending a hand to Mina instead.

At Nayeon’s abruptness, Sana winces, feeling a pool of anxiousness rise in her stomach. She knows that this is Nayeon's way of shutting her up. A polite and disguised way of doing so. Sana takes the glass from Nayeon without a word and the smile on her face falters slightly. 

But she’s happy to see Nayeon take such an interest in someone again. That matters more to her.

As Mina takes Nayeon’s hand, she feels slightly terrified. As if she’s committing some sort of crime. It’s exhilarating. Since she has the attention of these two women, Mina thinks, she might as well enjoy it. Her eyes are locked on Nayeon’s, who is trained on her. The woman’s smirk is cocky. Regardless, she falls into place as Mina takes the lead. 

Nayeon is just as smooth as Sana, and again Mina finds herself in perfect sync on the dance floor. Another endless moment in time as Nayeon’s sharp eyes never leave hers. No one joins them on the floor this time, though the band does take the hint and slow down the tempo slightly. 

They’re waltzing alone on an arctic plain. 

❖ ❖ ❖

The guests are beginning to disperse. It’s pushing after midnight. Mina has ventured off on her own to chat with all the guests memorized on her list. Pleasant chattery. A little business, but nothing too deep. Mina offers friendly smiles and laughs on cue, just as she has practiced. It is good to get her name and face out there. She wants to be a force to be reckoned with. 

At last she finds herself alone again, and immediately she thinks of Sana and Nayeon. She glances around the large ballroom, not seeing their faces among the smaller scattered crowds still left, and instantly grows disappointed. Mina had been hoping to get the chance to say goodbye. Or rather, that they would want to see her before they left. 

A silly thought, maybe. 

She goes to fetch her coat and get her car brought up by valet, thanking the woman behind the bag check counter before she heads outside. It’s about 15 degrees colder outside. Slipping on her jacket, she waits patiently for her car to be brought up in a line of other guests also trying to leave. 

“Mina, you’re heading out?” A voice calls from behind. Mina turns to see Sana and Nayeon exiting the building with their coats in hand as well. 

“Yes!” she exclaims, feeling her chest flutter at the unexpected sight of seeing both women again. “I wanted to say goodbye, but I didn’t see either of you in there. I thought you had left already.”

“It would’ve been a shame to not say goodbye. I’m glad we caught you,” Sana says. She’s holding onto Nayeon, Mina notices. There’s a slight drunken wobble to her wife’s step. “Let’s exchange numbers so we can stay in touch.”

The women stop in front of Mina, and as Sana reaches into her purse to pull out her cell phone, Nayeon stands upright and looks at Mina so intensely that she finds the urge to retreat backward, but she stands her ground. 

“Here you are.” Sana hands Mina her phone—surprisingly quite badly scratched, and at least a few years old. Mina fights back a grimace at the tragic phone as she enters in her contact info. 

“I could get you a new phone, if you’d like,” Mina offers, handing it back to Sana. “Our latest model, state of the art. The most memory out of all comparable devices, and the best camera yet.” She feels as though she’s suddenly trying to pitch a product and bites her lip, wishing she hadn’t said all that. 

“Sana likes to hold onto old things. She’s sentimental in that way,” Nayeon murmurs. Her eyes aren’t on Mina anymore, but on some guests getting into their cars nearby. “Stubbornly holding onto things that are familiar and keeping them close—even when they’re frightfully outdated and quite useless. She finds comfort in that.”

Mina sees Sana glance at her wife—her ever constant smile waning. She sticks her phone back in her purse and turns to Mina once again, choosing to ignore Nayeon's statement altogether. “We’ll plan on getting together again soon,” she tells Mina. 

“I look forward to it,” Mina replies, bowing her head slightly at them both. “Thank you for your company tonight.”

“I’m glad we met you, Miss Myoui.” Nayeon is leaning into her wife now, clearly ready to get off her feet. She gives Mina one last grin—slightly sloppier than the others earlier that night—before Sana says her goodbyes and leads her wife toward where their car must be waiting. As they walk away, Mina can see Nayeon whispering in Sana’s ear. 

Mina wonders if she will see these two women again, or if their suggestion of hanging out again was just hollow words. Her fate being entirely in Sana’s hands, as she realizes Sana has her number but not vice versa. 

Perhaps, she thinks, that may be for the best. After all, she has a feeling no good would come out of trying to befriend the two. They had their fun with her, after all. 

But a week later, Mina receives a text from an unknown number. It’s Sana, inviting Mina to her and Nayeon’s countryside estate outside the city. After a bit of hesitation, Mina agrees. After all, she had not been able to get Nayeon out of her thoughts since she left the party. The woman’s almost infuriating grin. How her hands felt on Mina’s waist. Her warm breath on Mina’s neck. 

It’s dangerous, after all. Nayeon is married. But Mina has a feeling that Nayeon and Sana’s marriage is anything but conventional. 

They send a car to fetch her at her apartment downtown—at both of their insistence. Mina’s no stranger to being chauffeured, but this ride feels different. There’s a flush of nerves swirling around in her stomach as she stares out the window, seeing the urban landscape turn rural. There’s a large gate, marking the edge of the property, that swings open and lets the car inside.

Mina is fixated at the perfectly kept landscaping, and the small gardens throughout the property. The driver opens her door, and she steps out, taking in the front of the house—which is more like a mansion. The exterior looks huge. Bigger than nearly any home that Mina has seen in her lifetime. 

She walks up a small flight of stone stairs to reach the front door. Hesitantly, she rings the doorbell, feeling a bit silly to be this nervous. Sana and Nayeon are just people, after all. People with a lot of money, who have lived several lifetimes. 

After about a minute, one of the doors opens, and Sana appears, greeting Mina with a large smile. “You made it!” she cries, and automatically goes for a hug. 

Mina, stiff at first, returns it. “Thank you for the invitation. And for the ride. It was completely unnecessary, but appreciated.”

Sana waves her hand. “That’s what our driver is for. Please come in, and I’ll give you a quick tour.” She steps into the house and the door closes behind her. 

There’s a slight creak that snaps Mina’s attention. Descending the grand staircase in the foyer, Nayeon appears, padding down on bare feet. She’s casually dressed in a simple button up and jeans with her hair tied back—a stark difference to the gown Mina last saw her in. It suits her all the same. “Miss Myoui,” she says. There’s a small smile on her face. “You’re here.”

Mina ignores the chill that runs down her spine and gives Nayeon a polite smile. “Hello.”

“You’re here in time to take her on the tour with me,” Sana chirps. “Let’s start with the ground floor and work our way up.” She loops her arm through Mina’s thoughtlessly. Mina blinks, trying to adjust to Sana’s touchy tendencies.

“Must we give a tour?” Nayeon groans. “Can’t we just go to the kitchen and prepare for dinner? I’m hungry.”

Sana begins to walk deeper into the house, pulling Mina with her. “Well, we so rarely have visitors, I thought it would be nice to show off the house, after all. I put a lot of effort into the design, dear.” 

Nayeon follows behind wistfully. Mina can feel Nayeon’s eyes on her back as they move throughout the house. There’s so many rooms, Mina wonders exactly what need there is for this much space, especially when its inhabitants consist of only 2 people.

By the time the tour has nearly finished—both floors—Sana has returned Mina to the foyer again. Their last stop is the kitchen, which Sana has saved until now. 

“Your home is incredible,” Mina replies, feeling a bit breathless. 

“Ah, she’s so polite,” Nayeon murmurs, eyes flicking over to Sana, who is watching Mina with a warm smile on her face. 

“Would you rather I be rude?” Mina asks, raising an eyebrow. The right corner of her mouth quirks upward. This kind of talk bubbles up in her throat so naturally with Nayeon. She worries for a moment if she’s been too forward, but then Nayeon grins. 

“You should do as you wish.” She walks forward, giving Mina a wink before slipping deeper into the house again. 

“I’m more of an interior decorator than Nayeon,” Sana replies, stepping ahead so that she’s beside Mina now. “So I deserve almost all the credit for what you just saw. But there are a few rooms that Nayeon assisted me with. Like the master bedroom, and the kitchen.” She begins walking, looking at Mina besides her until the girl falls in step with her. 

The kitchen is surprisingly homey for a house of this size and value. It feels more like being in a cottage than a home with at least 30 rooms. But despite the rustic decor, the appliances are all state of the art, including a smart refrigerator. Nayeon is already standing inside as Sana guides Mina there, opening up the refrigerator to pull out some appetizers. 

“Help me get all the food out, will you?” Nayeon asks her wife. “Miss Myoui must be starving after that dreadfully long tour you put her through.” 

Sana sticks out her tongue, and Mina giggles. “I enjoyed the tour,” she assures Sana, and the woman beams. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Sana proudly boasts that tonight’s dinner is completely homemade. It was a team effort (Sana emphasizes  _ team _ ). Each woman prepared their specialties for Mina.

“This is all so delicious,” Mina says, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a fabric napkin. And she means it—everything, the side dishes, the appetizers, the main dish and the desserts are fantastic. Her stomach feels a bit bloated having to try everything at Sana and Nayeon’s instance. 

“We’ve had a lot of practice.” Sana stabs her fork into a dumpling and takes a bite. 

Nayeon, who is still picking at her food as well, nods. “Sana used to be an awful cook, you know,” she tells Mina. “I had to live with a fire hazard for a few decades of my life.”

Sana playfully smacks her hand on the countertop. “Not awful!” she whines, “I was just a bit clumsy.” She likes this. When Nayeon teases her. It feels like how it used to. 

“ _ Was? _ ” Nayeon says, looking at her wife incredulously. “How do you explain that band aid there?” She pokes her fork in the direction of Sana’s left hand hovering above the table. Mina spots a bandage wrapped around the woman’s pointer finger. One she hadn’t even noticed before. 

Self-conscious, Sana moves her hand under the table, hiding it from sight. “Okay, yes I cut my finger earlier today. But I haven’t done that in years!” 

Nayeon looks at her wife smugly, and Sana scoffs. 

“Okay, months maybe. But I couldn’t help it. I just got distracted. I was excited by the thought of our company.” Sana turns to Mina now, smiling. 

Mina’s eyes instantly drop down to the nearly empty plate in front of her. She laughs nervously. “Well I’m sorry you cut yourself preparing dinner for me. I do enjoy cooking as well, but I’ve only recently been getting into more extensive recipes.”

“Perhaps we can teach you,” Nayeon offers. “We’re no experts, but we have attended cooking classes offered by some of the finest chefs in the world over the past few decades.”

“That’s a lovely idea,” Sana agrees. Her eyes are shining, delighted at her wife for the suggestion.

Mina’s heart leaps a bit at the thought of spending more time with the couple, though the thought of Nayeon’s judgmental, focused eyes on her makes Mina slightly anxious. “That would be nice.”

Dinner finishes up shortly after that. Mina offers to help with the dishes but Sana refuses, insisting Nayeon would take care of them all later. She gives her wife a teasing wink and Nayeon glares in return. 

Nayeon reaches for another bottle of wine, then steps forward to pour some into Mina’s empty glass. “One more glass of wine before you head home,” Nayeon murmurs quietly. “Since you’re not driving.”

Mina watches the red wine spill into the glass, hypnotized. “Thank you.”

Sana and Nayeon’s glasses are filled as well. “Let’s sit out on the back patio,” Sana suggests. “It’s a beautiful night.”

The unstained, unclouded night sky is filled with stars. Mina gazes upward, reflecting on the last time she saw anything so marvelous. The sky in the city was always blank—the stars blocked out by light pollution and smog. Here, everything could be seen. A vast, endless universe before them. 

They sit in silence for a few minutes, sipping at their wine. Mina looking up, Nayeon looking at Mina, and Sana looking at Nayeon. 

“I haven’t seen this many stars in awhile,” Mina explains suddenly, realizing she had zoned out after catching Nayeon’s eyes on her. “The city doesn’t offer this view.”

“It’s one of the reasons why we spend so much time at this house,” Sana says. “I love the city, but I also love the freshness here. The simplicity, and the complexity all at once.”

Nayeon nods, but says nothing. She knows that Sana is lying. She’s always been a city girl—enjoying the hustle and the constant hum of life. Nayeon was once like that too, and still does enjoy the city in small doses, but somewhere along the way, she began preferring these quiet nights. 

And yet, Sana stays with Nayeon here, not leaving her side. Keeping her company in the echoing emptiness of the house. Even when she longs for an urban atmosphere. 

Nayeon thinks that maybe she’ll suggest that she and Sana spend a few months at their penthouse soon. They’ve been staying at this estate for quite awhile this year already. 

They chat a bit more. Mina mentions something about the view from her childhood home. Suburban. Comfortable. Not quite the same as this, but close enough. Nayeon paints a picture of Mina’s youth in her mind—one filled with love, and tenderness. She wonders how accurate her painting is. 

Sana begins to point out some constellations, ones she’s memorized from the many books on astronomy she’s read over the years. Nayeon has never understood her wife’s passion for space. After all, Sana is terrified of it. 

The space enterprise of Nayeon’s company was a direct result of Sana’s fascination, of course. The idea had dawned on Nayeon that no company was better suited to start a campaign to aid KARI and NASA’s ventures than her own. 

Nayeon had lied to Sana, saying it was her board’s idea. But she rather enjoyed the way her wife’s eyes lit up in excitement at the announcement, and how often Sana asked to go into work with her to observe the progress of the space exploration department. 

As Sana excitedly explains the history of the constellation Cassiopeia, Mina politely listens, making soft sounds of wonder as she follows Sana’s pointed fingers casting across the night sky. 

Once they’re done with their drinks, they remain sitting for a while longer before Mina stands up and mentions she must get going. It’s a weekend, but she’s sleepy and has plans for Sunday. Sana thinks it’s quite cute how the girl’s tiredness hits her all at once. Her eyelids droop slightly and she grows even more quiet than usual. Nayeon and Sana walk her to the door and watch as she steps into their car. Sana waves from the porch as she is driven away. 

Once both women are back inside, Nayeon heads to the kitchen without a word. Sana follows her, watching as her wife slips on some gloves, preparing to do the dishes. Sana grabs a towel to help, but Nayeon shoos her away immediately, wanting to do it herself. 

But Sana lingers silently for a moment, watching the muscles on Nayeon’s back tighten as she scrubs away. 

Finally, Sana says, “I think Mina has a crush on you.” It’s not malicious or jealous, because Sana is neither of those things. It’s presented in a playful manner. Nothing but a small tease to lighten the mood. To poke Nayeon and see how she’ll react. Make sure she doesn’t have a moody outburst. She’s sensitive to this subject, Sana knows. 

“Of course she does,” Nayeon replies. Back still turned. 

Sana had hoped Nayeon would say more, but they’re both left in the silence of the faucet running burning hot. “Are you going to entertain her?” Sana asks. Her tone is dangerously hopeful.

Nayeon stops scrubbing a plate for a moment. Sana can see the muscles in her back tighten as she stands up more erect. “No,” she murmurs. “There’s nothing to entertain.” 

“Mina is a nice girl,” Sana continues, as if that will make Nayeon reconsider. “I think she really has her sights set on you.” 

After placing a dish on the adjacent drying rack, Nayeon turns off the sink and removes her gloves, throwing them on the marble countertop. “You know Mina wants what I can’t give her.” She spins around to face Sana now.

“Maybe if you actually  _ tried  _ for once—”

“Sana,” Nayeon interrupts sternly. “I’m not having this conversation with you again.” She goes to exit the kitchen in a hurry, but Sana is faster, side stepping in her way and blocking her path. Their bodies are close now, and Nayeon’s jaw visibly sets in annoyance. 

“What good is it to live your immortal life in fear?” Sana sharply asks. “You have all this money and power and yet you’re really that afraid of getting your heart broken again?”

There’s nothing more Nayeon hates than being talked down to like this. Sana rarely does it, but when it happens, her wife always has a talent of making her feel small. “It’s not fear, it’s  _ logic _ . There’s no point in watering something that will ultimately wither away and die.” 

Nayeon has lived most of her life with this thought in the back of her mind. Repeating like a mantra whenever someone would appear in her life, threatening to bulldoze through her walls. When you’d lived as long as Nayeon had, one learned to have a low tolerance for anything that might cause one pain. 

Sana had heard this sentiment a million times by now. There were some days she understood Nayeon, and others when her disdain for that stance were overpowering. Tonight was one of those nights. Maybe it was because of Mina, and the way Nayeon clearly fancied her. The scent of Mina’s pleasant perfume still lingers under Sana’s nose. “Is that all love really is to you? A flower? Not something transcendent and forever?”

“Yes,” Nayeon shoots back, jaw setting into a grimace. She didn’t want to fight, but she wouldn’t back down. “Love doesn’t transcend anything, unless you’re with your soulmate, of course.” Her words are dripping with bitterness. “You should know that better than anyone.” 

The comment cuts deep, Nayeon can see it in the way a little bit of light leaves Sana’s eyes. If Nayeon wasn’t in such a sour mood, she might’ve felt a bit bad about it.

Nayeon isn’t oblivious. She’s known how Sana has felt about her for a long, long time. And selfishly, despite knowing it, she’s kept Sana tethered to her. Feigning ignorance about the girl’s feelings. Afraid to lose Sana, too. 

She lets Sana walk away, eyes beginning to fill with tears. Nayeon hates to see Sana cry, but Sana hates to cry in front of someone else even more. Her feet carry her up the stairs to one of the many guest bedrooms, and in the cruel, stuffy silence, she lets the first tear drop. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Sana doesn’t speak to Nayeon for the rest of the day after that. This kind of behavior from her is uncommon, but Nayeon knows she’ll bounce back eventually. She always does. 

When Sana finally gives in, she finds Nayeon in the study, perched on a window seat, hunched over a book. “I’m going on a business trip to Madrid this weekend. I leave tomorrow afternoon.”

Nayeon doesn’t bother looking up from the pages when she says, “A business trip? When is the last time you’ve gotten roped into going on one of those?”

Crossing her arms, Sana sets her jaw. “I volunteered this time. It’s a matter of public relations. I’m the face of the company, so I need to be there.” 

“Right. It will be good for you to get away.” Nayeon replies, finally glancing up to look at Sana. She can see the guilt briefly flash across Sana’s face before it dissolves into indifference.

“Away from you for a bit, yes,” Sana snaps. 

Nayeon only smiles. “Enjoy Madrid. The weather is absolutely gorgeous there at this time of year.” And with that, Sana has lost Nayeon’s attention again. Her nose is back in her book, eyes flicking across the page where she left off. 

Sana remains for a moment, lingering. She debates saying more, but realizes maybe that’s exactly what Nayeon wants. Walking back out to the hallway, Sana leaves the door to the study wide open. 

❖ ❖ ❖

The next day, Sana’s bag is packed and being rolled across the wood floor. She catches Nayeon in the kitchen, prepping a late lunch. The woman hums along to a song Sana hasn’t heard in a very long time. One she’d almost forgotten. 

“I’m leaving,” Sana says. Her wife turns around from the counter and faces her. There’s a small smile on her face. She’s clearly in a good mood. 

“Have a safe flight. Text me when you land.”

It’s something Nayeon and Sana always asked of one another. Throughout the years, since passenger planes had been invented, this had never changed. Sana finds comfort in that. Comfort in that Nayeon asks her to do this, even now. 

Sana gives a curt nod, before starting to head toward the foyer. But before she can take another step, Nayeon’s voice rings out, stopping Sana in her tracks. 

“I’m inviting Mina over while you’re away. For dinner and wine, again,” Nayeon announces.

Ah, so this is why Nayeon is in a good mood. 

Turning around to face her wife, Sana’s face is expressionless, but her mouth twitches, betraying her. She knows exactly what Nayeon intends to do. Mina will be no different than all the ones before. “Mina is a gentle girl. Please don’t make a mess of her.” 

Nayeon is smiling tightly. “Careful, dear. It seems Mina may not be the only one with a crush.” 

Leaning forward, Sana gives Nayeon a kiss on the cheek. It lingers a bit too long. A disguised threat. ”I’ll be back on Sunday morning. Stay out of trouble.”

Sana, with her carry-on suitcase in tow, leaves the house without looking back. 

  
❖ ❖ ❖

Mina unbuttons and buttons the top button of her blouse absentmindedly as she sits in the back of the SUV that Nayeon and Sana had fetch her to bring her back to their place again. The driver is quiet but polite. Mina is thankful for the silence.

Her thoughts are running wild, and make enough noise to keep her occupied.

The driver opens the door for her and she steps out into the evening air, skin feeling hot and slightly sticky. She thanks the man before taking a deep breath and heading up the large stairs to the front door. It’s only been a week since she’s been here last, and yet she couldn’t stay away.    
  
Mina would’ve perhaps liked to invite Sana and Nayeon to her apartment, but it pales in comparison to their mansion. Though Mina took pride in her pristine and high-tech home—she thought she could save that for a later date, if things kept progressing.

After buzzing the door once, Nayeon opens it up and greets Mina with a small smile. Then she ushers the girl inside. 

“It’s nice to have some company tonight. The house is uncomfortably quiet without Sana,” Nayeon says.

Mina stops walking, eyes widening slightly. “Sana’s not home?” 

Nayeon stops walking as well once she realizes Mina has frozen. She spins around and faces the girl, raising an eyebrow. “No, she’s on a business trip. Does that bother you?”

“Of course not.” But Mina is visibly flustered, and Nayeon buries the temptation to press the girl’s back into the wall now and kiss her until she’s breathless. That would spoil the fun. 

Nayeon is curious to know. Curious to see how far she can push Mina before the girl gives in to the tainted thoughts she’s clearly having. Sana would scold Nayeon later for doing exactly what she said not to, but it was worth it. 

She’d been with many people in her lifetime. The past few decades were filled with affairs. There was nothing scandalous about them though. Sana had her run of them, too. The longest running one being with a girl named Eunha, who Sana absolutely adored.

But then Eunha met her soulmate, and Sana was set aside like always. At the news, Sana had mustered her brightest smile, wishing Eunha all the best. And she was truly happy for the girl. Not a bitter bone in her body. Nayeon had always admired her wife for that. The selflessness Nayeon would never have. 

But the selflessness didn’t make it hurt any less. 

Sana came home after the rejection crying. Nayeon knew it was best to leave Sana alone until the girl was ready to be with company again. After a few hours, late into the night, Nayeon heard the sound of their bedroom door opening. Silhouetted in the dark was Sana, still in the dress she’d meticulously picked out that afternoon for her date. She wordlessly crawled into bed beside Nayeon and nestled up besides her. 

Nayeon lightly patted her head, then traced her fingers along Sana’s delicate skin, up and down her arms and chest and face. Her wife trembled for a few minutes before she relaxed at Nayeon’s touch. There was no need for words, as both of them had been through this a handful of times before. History repeating itself. 

And history would repeat itself again. Or at least, Nayeon thought. 

Mina was invited over with the intention of simply being used for the night. But the longer Nayeon was in the girl’s presence, the worse she felt about it. Maybe it was due to her naivety. Whether the girl was truly innocent or not, she radiated the energy of someone pure. But Nayeon supposed Mina would not be here if she didn’t want something, too. And that made her all the more intriguing.

Sana’s warning from a few days ago echoed in Nayeon’s mind. 

“You know, Sana always likes to make it seem like she constantly has to take care of me. But the truth is, she would be a wreck without me.” Nayeon is smiling fondly, looking away into some tender memory that Mina can’t see. 

Somehow, Mina doesn’t doubt that. But she thinks it must go both ways. “You’re lucky to have each other.”

Nayeon lets out an amused hum. “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” she admits. She taps a finger against her wine glass before she takes another sip. She doesn’t want to think of Sana right now, so she quickly changes the conversation.

After a bottle of wine shared between them, Nayeon could feel some of that original guilt slipping away. Her eyes lingered on Mina’s lips. She would take what she wanted, as she always did. 

It isn’t long before she leads Mina upstairs. Mina follows without any resistance. 

“You and Sana are quite unlike anyone else I’ve ever met,” Mina says, as they step inside the large master bedroom. She’d seen it briefly on the tour last week, but it looks different now. The air is filled with thick tension. 

“Different in a good way, I hope” Nayeon replies, immediately sitting down on the large king-sized bed and looking over at Mina expectantly.

Mina smiles at that. “Yes.” But she doesn’t elaborate. After a moment of hesitation she sits down beside Nayeon.

She imagines Sana and Nayeon spending decades in this room together. More time than Mina has been alive. It’s slightly terrifying.

“When Sana’s not around, I feel a bit lonely,” Nayeon says. “I like my alone time, but not having her presence in the house at night is a bit unnerving. I appreciate your company.” It’s a genuine statement. It’s statements like these that always draw people in, and though it’s uncomfortable for Nayeon to admit, the wine helps her get it out. She takes another sip of her wine and sets the glass on the bedside table. 

“I enjoy your conversation,” Mina says, feeling herself flush a bit under Nayeon’s intense stare. 

“I’ve perfected the art of conversation many years ago,” Nayeon murmurs jokingly. “One of the most important things to keep in mind is,” she leans forward slightly, drawing closer to Mina, “eye contact is key. You shouldn’t look away.”

As Nayeon says this, she lays a finger under Mina’s chin and gently guides the girl's head upward. Mina’s downcast eyes instantly find Nayeon’s and she can feel every muscle in her body tensing at the realization of how close they are.

Mina has never been good with eye contact. She’s been working on it lately, but has trouble maintaining it throughout a conversation. Especially when the person she’s speaking with has the most striking eyes, boring into her. Seeing through to her soul.

What happens next surprises Mina, though she’s the one whose body is moving forward, leaning into the touch. Her eyes lower to Nayeon’s lips, continuing to move forward. 

But before their lips meet, Nayeon moves out of reach. This is it—she’s found Mina’s breaking point. 

  
Grabbing Mina’s face in her right hand and pulling it close, Nayeon’s eyes flick across Mina’s soft features. They’re exquisite, but not enough to make Nayeon’s heart beat unsteadily like it once did. Perhaps it isn’t even capable of that any longer. Her heart feels like a dead battery doing nothing more than weighing down her chest. 

  
Nayeon’s grip on Mina’s jawline tightens, and Mina can feel one of Nayeon’s rounded nails digging into her left cheek. The girl doesn’t flinch though. Her breath simply stills.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Nayeon asks. She knows full well, but she asks anyway. 

Mina, only inches from her lips, remains silent and doesn’t back down. Her hands anxiously scratch at Nayeon’s abdomen. As if she’s trying to dig beneath the surface and expose whatever lies underneath. Her lips take the shape of Nayeon’s name, calling it out, quietly. It’s desperate, but Mina doesn’t care. Her heart is racing the way Nayeon’s isn’t. 

Nayeon lets Mina kiss her then. She can feel the woman’s heartbeat fluttering around like an unsteady bird. That’s when Nayeon lets herself feel a small amount of pity for this woman pressing against her. Nayeon can tell that Mina’s intentions run deeper than what she herself desires just in the way the woman’s lips crash against her own. Nayeon pulls away, needing to set the record straight, causing Mina to whimper in displeasure. 

“We’re not soulmates,” Nayeon says, pointing out the obvious. “So what exactly do you hope to get out of this?”

Mina is frozen, looking at Nayeon in the low-light with eyes as wide as a doe. Nayeon considers how easy it would be to crush her right then. To stomp out the pathetic part of her clinging to that fruitless hope of loving and being loved. 

Nayeon had been like that once. Naive and stupid. Maybe that’s why she can’t stand the sight of Mina looking at her like that. Like a mirror of time, reflecting back nothing but haunting memories and mistakes. 

“I like you,” Mina replies. As if it’s that simple. As if they don’t live in a world dictated by loveless immortality and romantic death. 

“You shouldn’t,” Nayeon snaps. She stands up, stalking toward the half curtain-drawn window. Peering out at the vast back yard, Nayeon doesn’t have to look back to know Mina is now standing as well. The girl’s bare feet pad softly across the wood floor. Her movements are graceful and swift, careful not to stir the air around her. 

Placing a hand on Nayeon’s exposed shoulder, Mina attempts to pull her back to bed, but Nayeon doesn’t budge. She has turned to stone. And if Mina knew what’s best for her, she would too. 

“Love is useless for people like you and me. People without their soulmates,” Nayeon states. Her voice is rigid. “There’s no use for it. It only gets in the way. Distracts us.” She turns her head back slightly, so that Mina’s silhouette dots the edge of her vision. “Is that what you want, Mina? To get caught up in something that will ultimately hurt you?”

It’s the first time Nayeon has addressed Mina by her first name.

Nayeon feels Mina’s fingers lift off her shoulder slightly, now barely hovering over the skin. “Maybe it is,” she insists, voice barely above a whisper. “No matter the pain, it’s worth it, to feel loved, if only for a short while.” 

“I thought that once, too. Then I lost all the people I loved.” Nayeon’s voice is a dull-bladed knife. 

“But you have Sana—” Mina begins

“You think I love her?” Nayeon asks, with a half smile. Amused by the childish thought. “Our arrangement is for convenience and business, nothing more.”

The silence looming behind her tells Nayeon she’s come off convincingly, but what she doesn’t know is that Mina hears the slight waver in her voice.

Mina’s hand drops off of Nayeon’s shoulder. Hangs down at her side, limply. 

“You’ll find life gets easier if you let go of whatever fantasies you’ve been holding onto,” Nayeon replies, voice still ringing with an aggressiveness that Mina doesn’t deserve. A harshness that Nayeon finds necessary. She wishes someone could have told her these things many years ago, after all. Wishes she was able to get this through Sana’s head, after all these years. She’s simply doing Mina a favor. 

Nayeon draws the curtains the rest of the way across the windows hastily. The room is shrouded in a bluish hue. She steps around Mina, walking wordlessly back to bed. Sitting down, she adjusts her cardigan and gazes back at the girl, who remains standing near the window. “Now that we’ve settled what this is, you can come back to bed, or leave.” 

She would very much prefer the former, but Nayeon doesn’t say that. 

Mina imagines walking out the door. Down the grand staircase. Pulling on her coat. Slipping on her shoes. Escaping into the warm summer night. Perhaps she’d be able to breathe in the fresh air as she stumbled in the vague direction of home. 

This isn’t like her. She shouldn’t have come here, after all. 

But a ghost of a smile haunts Nayeon’s face as Mina makes her way toward the bed, sitting beside Nayeon obediently. 

Nayeon makes a mess of Mina that night. Doing her best to purge the girl of any lingering dreams of a predestined fate.

❖ ❖ ❖

Sana arrives late the next morning, exhausted from a long flight. She wants nothing more than to collapse on their bed and drift off into a dreamless slumber. But as she opens the door to the master bedroom, she finds Mina crumbled up in bed. Alone. 

She sighs, knowing her nap will have to wait. Sana begins to gather Mina’s scattered clothes thrown haphazardly over the floor, then manages to lift the woman unsteadily to her feet. Mina feels heavy, leaning against Sana. Weighed down by a new horror. But also a burdensome relief. 

The tears that were walled up the night before come flowing now. Freely, without end. Mina cries for what feels like hours, clinging onto Sana. Her flotation device keeping her above water.

Sana continues to hold Mina tightly. Determined to clean up this mess that Nayeon has made, like she always does. Stroking Mina’s hair, Sana soothingly hums until the woman’s body stops shaking. Then she hands Mina her clothes.

Sana averts her eyes as Mina dresses herself like a zombie. Says nothing as Mina finally walks out the door like she should’ve the night before. 

Her heart breaks for both herself and Mina. She had really thought Mina might be the one to change things. 

❖ ❖ ❖

  
A few hours later, Sana hears the sound of the front door unlocking and opening. Nayeon is home. Sana is sitting on the couch in the living room, entertaining herself by catching up on social media. She glances up at the sound of her wife’s bare feet on the wood floor. 

Sana expected Nayeon to be shining with the glow of a game well played, but she’s surprisingly worn at the edges. There are dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept well. 

“How was your business trip?” Nayeon asks, plopping down on the couch beside Sana.

“Boring.” She sets her phone down. “I found Mina upstairs this morning.”

Nayeon sighs, long and drawn out. Sana expects a snarky remark, but there’s nothing.

“Shouldn’t you be a bit kinder? At least have the decency to look her in the eye the morning after?” She continues to stare at Nayeon, who only looks defeated. It’s a look that doesn’t suit her wife at all.

“I was doing some thinking,” Nayeon replies. She pulls her knees up to her chest. 

Sana lets out a frustrated huff. “Isn’t the whole point of this not to think anything?” But her voice has grown gentler. It’s clear to her that something is wrong. 

“Mina made that harder than I anticipated,” Nayeon admits. She doesn’t add anything else. Instead, she reaches for the remote and turns on the TV. 

It’s something Sana hasn’t heard in the past 60 years. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Though Sana is excited by the prospect of Mina becoming a recurrence in her and Nayeon’s lives—someone Nayeon cares enough about to not toss aside immediately—she still somewhat wishes Mina will stay away, for her own good.

  
But Mina doesn’t. And this is a bit surprising to Nayeon and Sana both.    
  
Nayeon reaches out to Mina, and whatever she says is enough to get Mina to agree to meet her and Sana for dinner again. At the news, Sana raises an eyebrow. She doesn’t complain though. If this is the path Mina wants to pursue, that is her choice alone. 

The selfish part of Sana is glad that Mina isn’t strong enough to fight the pull. Glad that she has the opportunity to befriend someone who sees Nayeon’s charm and shortcomings both, like she does. 

What the couple doesn’t know is that though Mina was hurt by Nayeon, a part of her grew all the more intrigued. She’s never been irresponsible. But Nayeon and Sana make her want to be. They make her want to be reckless, take a gamble, and see where this friendship with two very powerful women takes her. 

After all, Mina is sensitive, but strong. It took a few days to fully process her night with Nayeon, but she got over it as she did everything. Though she had been a bit scared of Nayeon in the moment, she only felt sorry for the woman now. It made Mina want to help, even. As if Nayeon was someone who could be saved.

Sana figures Mina’s thought process must be somewhere along those lines. There’s no doubt Nayeon has marked her—an ugly, raised scar down her chest that will never heal. Marked her as she marked Sana, too. For better, or for worse. 

Each time the three are together, Sana fears the wound will grow deeper. More infectious. So Sana vows to try her best to help it heal, hoping to undo any seeds of doubt Nayeon may plant in the young girl’s mind. She wants Mina to hold onto the hope of finding her soulmate, but to enjoy her time until then. To love unapologetically, without fear, unlike Nayeon. 

Mina fits in with the two women almost effortlessly. A third piece to balance them out. Sana is sure Nayeon must realize that, too, as they both continue to invite the other woman places. Sometimes out for dinner, sometimes to see a movie. Sometimes on a trip across the world. Sometimes to do nothing at all. 

There’s still a bit of tension between Nayeon and Mina, of course. But surprisingly, the awkwardness surrounding them both fades within days. It’s almost like they’ve started over. Almost. 

As her bond with Mina grows, Sana savors her moments spent alone with the girl. There’s a softness about her, unlike Nayeon’s sharp and jagged edges. Sana finds peace in Mina’s thoughtful silence, and comfort in her crafted words. 

It doesn’t take Sana long to realize she’s grown fond of Mina too, but not in secret, like Nayeon has. 

And Sana deduces, based on the way Mina’s cheeks redden when they’re alone, and the way Mina’s hands find hers almost without thought, that Mina may feel the same way, too. 

A few months after Mina first meets Sana and Nayeon, it’s Nayeon’s turn to be away. This time, on a trip with an old friend. One of the few Nayeon has left. Sana finds she can breathe a bit easier at first with her wife away, but the deafening loneliness creeps in not long after. 

She misses Nayeon. Her cruelty. Her embrace. 

Not wanting to be alone, she calls Mina. 

It’s only a matter of time before Mina is in the master bedroom again, but this time it’s Sana sitting on the mattress, gazing across the room. Beckoning her. 

There’s no harsh monologues. No ultimatums. 

Mina’s night with Sana isn’t unforgiving and breathtaking. It’s warm and passionate. Mina is lost under the sheets with Sana beside her, entangled in a soothing embrace.

Sana has not felt this at peace in years. 

“Nayeon used to love recklessly,” Sana tells Mina hours later. They are still in bed, with Sana’s arms wrapped around Mina’s waist as they lay on their sides. Mina is facing away from Sana, and Sana’s lips are nearly touching the top of Mina’s head. 

The statement comes off as random, but it captures Mina’s attention regardless. Mina had been thinking about Nayeon, anyway. It’s no surprise that Sana was, too.

“Many, many years ago,” Sana continues. Her voice is laced with the slurring of drowsiness. “Before she met me, even.” 

Mina un-attaches herself from Sana’s hold and rolls over so that they’re facing one another. “What changed her?” she asks.

Sana’s mouth quirks up into the sad smile. “The first girl she truly loved met her soulmate right before Nayeon was about to propose, and left Nayeon alone without hesitation.”

The thought of Nayeon being almost married to someone else besides Sana is a strange, unfathomable thought to Mina. 

“And Nayeon, being as dramatic as always, vowed she’d never fall in love with someone who wasn’t her soulmate again. It’s been so long though, I wonder if she remembers what it’s like. To be in love. I wonder if she would even realize if her heart was falling for someone again now.”

“Do you?” Mina asks, thoughtfully. Her eyes are wide and endless. “Remember what it’s like to be in love?”

The sad smile on Sana’s face intensifies. Ignoring the question, she brushes Mina’s hair out of her face and places a small kiss on Mina’s forehead. “Every day,” Sana mumbles. It’s barely audible, but it reverberates through Mina’s ears. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Mina is curious, Sana thinks. As she sits across from the woman at lunch, sitting on the patio of a five star restaurant Mina picked, Sana sees Mina’s eyes watching closely. It’s like if she stays around long enough, she may truly piece together who Sana and Nayeon are. And not just that, who they are to each other. 

But Sana knows the answer to that is anything but simple. Most days, Sana isn’t quite sure herself. 

And yet Mina assesses and observes. Asks subtle questions. Lets Sana answer them while Nayeon sips on her water. There’s no alcohol today. 

Sana is right. Mina is curious. But, she also wants to know where she ultimately fits between the two women. She wonders if Sana told Nayeon that they slept together, too. She wonders if Nayeon figured it out, somehow. 

Nayeon and Sana give almost nothing away though, keeping Mina in the dark. They sit and chat as they had before. Sana is upbeat and giggly. Even Nayeon cracks a joke here and there, teasing her wife. But as Sana says something silly, Mina’s eyes find Nayeon’s. And there is a strange flicker there. 

Sadness, jealousy, anger or something else entirely—Mina is not sure.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Do you like Sana?” Nayeon asks Mina abruptly. They’re standing near the edge of the roof of a penthouse of a luxury hotel. It’s a large party of wealthy no-names. Sana had asked Mina to tag along. She wasn’t one for parties, but she’d found she always enjoyed herself with Nayeon and Sana, no matter the environment. There was also something extraordinary about being with two people who always captured the attention of everyone in the room.

“Of course,” Mina replies. The straight whiskey she’s sipping on burns her throat. She suddenly wishes Sana wouldn’t have wandered away and disappeared into the crowd.

Nayeon takes another sip of her drink, gazing down below at the shorter buildings in the surrounding area. “Everyone does.”

“She’s beautiful.” It’s a fact, but Mina says it as an excuse. “Kind, too. Not at all how I expected either of you two to be.”

Nayeon knows well. Knows that Sana is a bright light. Mesmerizing. And that’s exactly why she had to make Sana hers. “How did you expect us to be?” She asks, as the image of Sana fades in her mind like a sun spot.

Mina looks a bit taken aback. She spins the straw in her drink absentmindedly. “Unapproachable,” she admits. “Otherworldly.”

“I consider myself to be pretty unapproachable,” Nayeon jokes. “I’m sorry we didn’t live up to your expectations.” The slight smile on Mina’s face makes Nayeon’s smile grow. 

Mina’s smile eventually turns neutral though as she gazes out at the city skyline. It’s after 1AM but the city is still roaring with life. There’s a serious pout on her face, suddenly. “Time has nothing to do with anything in the end.” Mina reminds Nayeon of Sana then, who often slips into seemingly unrelated, curious tangents. “We’re all human, after all. Even if you’ve been around much longer than I have.” 

This strikes a chord with Nayeon. She feels defensive, for some reason. Wanting to tote her years of life as a trophy—an achievement. “I’ve done a lot more in my years than most ever will.” Her voice is sharp, similar to the night her and Mina spent together. 

“That may be true. But you’re still as lonely as the rest of us. You and Sana, both.” Mina’s voice isn’t cruel. It’s soft, and gentle. And yet, her thoughtful words shake Nayeon’s solid core. It’s almost as if in that moment, Mina is the one who has already lived lifetimes and Nayeon is the one who is new and fresh to the Earth. 

Nayeon’s grip around her glass tightens. She doesn’t like the way Mina is looking at her. With something like pity. “You don’t know us,” she murmurs. “You don’t know a goddamn thing.”

She knows she shouldn’t be letting Mina rile her up this much, but the alcohol is buzzing in her head. The mood has shifted too quickly. The music is too loud. And Sana is not here.

“Maybe,” Mina agrees. “But you let more show than you realize.”

Gritting her teeth, Nayeon takes a small step back. 

“It’s okay, though,” Mina says. Her eyes are confident, much different from the night Nayeon met her. She takes a step back as well and turns to face Nayeon. “I’ll stay beside you both, if you’ll let me.”

She reaches out a hand, small and slender. It’s hovering in the air, waiting patiently for Nayeon’s. 

Nayeon glances down at it with her lips pressed together. She considers how easy it would be to take it. How much her heart wants to. But her heart is not in control. It hasn’t been for a very long while. 

“We don’t need you.” Nayeon says, flatly. She spins on her heel and walks away. 

As she elbows her way through the crowd of partygoers, fighting to get to the other side of the roof and as far away from Mina as possible, her chest constricts with a mind of its own. She thinks of the face of her first love. Always her first love. 

Sana comes back a few minutes later with a pretty woman Mina doesn’t recognize, only to find Mina standing alone. “Where’s Nayeon?”

❖ ❖ ❖

The dispute between Nayeon and Mina is inconvenient. Sana wants attention from them both, and right now she can’t get it from either of them. Nayeon is acting like Mina doesn’t exist. Like she didn’t fill a hole in their life for the past 5 months. And Mina hasn’t reached out to Sana once in the past week. 

Sana knows it’s because they both care. Mina wants Nayeon to admit it. And Nayeon, well...was hellbent on not caring for anyone again. Mina would learn, if she stuck around, that what Nayeon wanted and what she needed were two very different things. After many decades living with the woman, Sana had figured that out. Learned to be what Nayeon needed, secretly. Trying not to push on her wife’s fragile ego too much. 

Taking matters into her own hands, Sana unexpectedly shows up at Mina’s door one day, take-out in hand. Mina has already eaten, and Sana isn’t too hungry, so the food just ends up in the fridge. 

Mina’s apartment is large and pristine. Equipped with the latest technology, and also littered here and there with gaming consoles. Embarrassed, Mina quickly rushes Sana past her gaming room to the living room. They sit on the couch beside one another. 

“I’m sorry for showing up unannounced,” Sana says. “I just really wanted to see you.”

Mina won’t admit it, but she is relieved to see Sana, too. She had a gutting fear that if she stopped talking to Sana and Nayeon that they would just forget about her. A short, insignificant blip in their immortal lives and nothing more. “How did you even find my address?”

Sana smiles. “I have my ways. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Fine,” Mina lies. She doesn’t say that she has missed spending time with the couple. Missed Nayeon’s obnoxious laugh and Sana’s whines. Missed Nayeon’s fiery glances and the feeling of Sana’s hand in hers. “Work has been keeping me busy. How are you?”

“Bored,” Sana admits, pouting. “I miss having you around.” She looks at Mina expectantly. 

It’s funny how blunt Sana is compared to her wife. Never afraid to share her feelings. “I’ve only known you for a few months, surely that time means nothing to you in the grand scheme of things.”

“That’s not true,” Sana insists. She looks at Mina as honestly as a person can. “Truthfully, it’s good for Nayeon and I to have someone else in the mix. Someone genuine.”

At the sounds of Nayeon’s name, Mina bristles slightly. “I’m not sure your wife feels the same.” The distaste on Mina’s face is unignorable. 

Sana lets out a huff. “Darling, you should see Nayeon these days. She’s dragging her feet, pouting all the time. She misses you, too.”

Mina runs a hand through her hair, keeping her face neutral. “Sana, what are we doing? We’re not soulmates.” Nayeon’s words echo in her own mind. That cold, hard gaze. 

The smile on Sana’s face falls slightly. “Why does that matter? If you like someone, you should be with them.”

Sana sounds just like Mina did when she stood facing Nayeon in their master bedroom. She wonders, after all these years, how Sana has managed to stay so bright and optimistic. 

“You’ll learn that Nayeon often says things she doesn’t mean,” Sana continues. “I’m not sure what she said to you the other night, but I can guarantee she just said it because she’s scared. She has a tendency to push away people that she starts to care about. That’s why we tend to cycle through friends.” 

It’s a lonely way to live, Mina thinks. The thought of Nayeon and Sana living this way for decades deeply saddens her. 

“I want that to be different with you though,” Sana says. “I would like you to stick around. Stay with us, please.” She reaches out and takes one of Mina’s hands in her own. 

“Why me?” Mina asks. There’s a bit of frustration in her voice. She still doesn’t understand how she ended up here. 

Mina reminds Sana of who Nayeon used to be. She’s nostalgic and yet, her youthful outlook on things is refreshing. Sana can tell that Mina is desperate for someone to care for her and someone to care for in return. No different than Sana or Nayeon, both. But Sana doesn’t say any of that. She settles on: “You’re what we need.”

And that’s enough. 

Mina can feel her cheeks heating up and her eyes drop down from Sana’s gaze to their intertwined hands. 

Sana smiles, knowing she said exactly what Mina needed to hear. Nayeon and Mina are both similar in that regard—they think they’re mysterious and elusive, when in reality they’re both open books. 

❖ ❖ ❖

“I’m going out shopping with Mina today,” Sana announces as she walks by the living room. Nayeon is curled on the couch, watching a drama on tv. It’s the first time her and Mina will be hanging out since she showed up at Mina’s apartment. 

She purposefully doesn’t ask her wife if she wants to come. It’s all part of her play. 

“Have fun,” Nayeon murmurs, not taking her eyes off the screen.

“I’m going to have her try on a bunch of things, like a fashion show,” Sana continues. She pauses, waiting for a reaction from Nayeon, but her wife remains silent. “Get her something custom tailored.”

Again, there’s silence. 

“Well, I may be back late. See you!” She blows a kiss to Nayeon, who simply rolls her eyes, and walks away. 

Mina was not aware this outing with Sana was gonna turn into a huge ordeal. She does most of her clothes shopping online, not caring for store attendants following her around. But Sana walks into the highest end boutiques without thought, immediately starting conversations with the employees, and pushing Mina forward. 

“We’re looking for this one,” Sana says, with her hands on Mina’s shoulders. 

“You’re not getting anything?” Mina asks, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

“I just went out recently, so there’s no need. This day is completely for you.” 

There’s a growing horror as Mina realizes exactly what that means. Before Mina can protest, the employees are gathering almost everything her size, placing it on a rack and wheeling it toward the fitting rooms in the back. 

They walk out of the store an hour and a half later. Mina only has one small bag in hand. “I can’t believe you only let me buy you one dress,” Sana murmurs, clearly disappointed. 

“I don’t want you to buy me anything!” Mina grumbles. “I can afford it, you know.” But there’s a blush on her face, one she can’t hide behind her hair. 

Sana spins around and gives Mina a soft smile. “Of course I know that, I just wanted to treat you. Now, come on, there’s one more boutique I just know you’re gonna love—“

And with that, Sana is tugging Mina’s wrist down the sidewalk, and Mina suddenly wishes she turned down the invitation today. 

Sana returns home in the evening, after her and Mina grabbed dinner. She brings home leftovers for Nayeon, but finds her wife is already asleep for the night. Sana changes into pajamas and crawls into bed beside her. “You had a busy day,” Sana whispers teasingly, watching the small rise and fall of Nayeon’s chest. 

Slowly, so as not to wake her wife, Sana seeks solace in the warmth of Nayeon’s slim body pressed against her own. There’s a heat radiating from the woman’s slightly clammy skin. Nayeon is a restless sleeper, so Sana has learned to anticipate an elbow in her face or a hard kick to the ribs during the middle of the night. It’s all worth taking, for Nayeon’s wildness means that her calm is near. That’s when the girl nestles against Sana’s chest. Burrowing her face into the crook of Sana’s neck. Sana is sure Nayeon is not aware she does this.

In secret, Sana places small kisses on Nayeon’s closed eyelids. Occasionally a lingering press to the corner of her wife’s lips. 

It’s in these stolen moments of affection, so gentle and quick, that Sana feels the most intimate with Nayeon. 

She’s lucky Nayeon is a heavy sleeper. 

❖ ❖ ❖

The next time Mina and Nayeon agree to meet is a month later, it’s out at dinner again. Sana thinks the pressure of the three of them being alone in the house would be too great. This feels more casual and constrained. She knows both women have to be on their best behavior. 

The conversation is a bit dull. Mina has nothing to report, besides a few advances at work. Sana’s agency is doing well—sporting all the up and coming models plastered on advertisements everywhere. Nayeon barely makes any decisions for her company anymore, despite being the largest shareholder. After all, that’s what she pays her board to do, and she knows they’ll invest the company’s money well. 

“You should’ve worn the dress I bought you,” Sana says, eyes slipping down below Mina’s neck. “Though the one you have on is nice, too.”

“I hope you didn’t let her buy you a whole new wardrobe,” Nayeon comments. She takes a sip of her wine. There is alcohol present this time.

“Of course not!” Mina snaps. She’s clearly embarrassed by the prospect. 

“She still tries to do that for me every now and then, and I’ve lived with her for over a century.’ 

Sana rolls her eyes. “Oh please, don’t act like you don’t love it.” 

And just like that, they slip back into their normal back and forth. 

But Sana knows the day isn’t won yet. She gets up, making an excuse about using the restroom, leaving Nayeon and Mina alone.

“I see Sana is up to her old tricks,” Nayeon mumbles, watching her wife walk away. The air without her instantly feels a bit stuffy. 

“She wants us to get along, I suppose,” Mina remarks, staring down at the food left on her own plate. 

“Since she truly seems to like you, I guess that’s not a horrible idea.” 

Mina raises an eyebrow, looking at Nayeon in surprise.

“She gets these obsessions here and there. Best to let her chase after them. She does not like it when anyone stands in her way.”

Mina deflates slightly, swallowing hard. “Right, just another fleeting obsession.”

Nayeon can see the sadness across Mina’s face and she bites her lip, hating how guilty it makes her feel. “I mean...she cares too recklessly. She always has too much love to give.”

“Too much is better than none at all.” Mina stares at Nayeon defiantly.    
  
Nayeon wonders if Mina has lost anyone yet. Wonders if the girl has truly loved anyone at all. Wonders if she would be the same person she is now if she went through either. 

“You have so much to learn,” is all Nayeon says, shaking her head. “I guess it’s a good thing we’re keeping you around, after all.”

Mina rolls her eyes. “I thought you didn’t need me.”

“I don’t need you. But that doesn’t mean it’s not nice to have you here.”

And Mina thinks that may be perhaps the nicest thing she will ever hear Nayeon say, and she decides then that she’s okay with that.

She is taken aback by the compliment, looking down at her lap. Nayeon can’t help but smile at the girl’s reddening face. Her flustered nature is endearing. 

“Just don’t hurt her, okay?” Nayeon asks. 

Mina realizes Nayeon is talking about Sana. 

“You know I won’t,” Mina replies. 

Nayeon hates that she has let Mina in. Hates that after all these years of discipline and walls upon walls built, Mina has somehow slipped through, threatening to tear down everything. She hates that Sana has only encouraged it. 

And here Mina is, an ally for now. But time would change that as it always did. She is just a sleeping traitor. 

There’s a smile on Nayeon’s face, a solemn one. “I want to believe you. We both know this ends with one of you leaving eventually.”

“And what if that’s you? What if you find your soulmate first?”

Nayeon laughs. It’s sharp and crisp. Mina fails to see the humor in what she just said. She stares at Nayeon in confusion until the other woman settles down. 

“I’ve been 25 for over 200 years now, Mina,” Nayeon says. “On average, it takes a person 10 years to find their soulmate. Did you know that?”

Of course Mina did. As if she hadn’t been anxiously researching herself, wondering why she hadn’t found her soulmate yet. 

“Sometimes it’s 20 years. Sometimes, on rare occasions, maybe 30. But there’s some of us, the outliers, who still remain.” Her voice sounds strained and tired. It’s the first time Mina has seen Nayeon looking truly defeated. 

“I’ve long since given up hope I even have a soulmate.” She sighs loudly. “Maybe the universe made a mistake, or maybe this is just some punishment for a past life. But I can promise you, my soulmate isn’t out there.”

Mina wants to console the woman and give her assurance. Of course her soulmate was out there! Everyone had one, it was just the way the world worked. Always two. 

But any attempt would seem hollow and foolish. After all, what could Mina really say? Ten years had made her grow antsy enough. Mina understood why Nayeon had given up, as sad as it was. 

All she could do was reach across the table and take Nayeon’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

It was in that moment she truly knew she was not going anywhere. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Months pass by. Then years. Mina finds that time almost seems to still when she doesn’t keep track of it. There’s really no need to count, anymore.

Nayeon was right to trust Mina. The girl proves it every year. She truly means to not leave either her or Sana’s side. She belongs.    
  
They have missteps here and there. Mina’s company falls into crisis, but they are able to stay steady after a business merger. A year later, Mina is promoted to CEO.

Nayeon and Sana see a lot less of Mina then. After all, she does not have the luxury of falling back on a fortune, letting her company run itself. She’s still relatively young—has her own trials and tribulations to face. Sana and Nayeon are there for her every step of the way, of course. 

Sana misses Mina a lot, and reminds Mina of that every time they talk. Nayeon misses Mina too, but she doesn’t say anything.    
  
A few years later, Sana gets in a car accident and is in the hospital for a month afterward. She was driving herself through the city and someone ran a red light. This isn’t the first time an accident like this has happened. Nayeon visits Sana every day, waiting for her broken ribs to heal. Mina comes as often as she can, showing up with different things to keep Sana occupied and entertained. Sana is grateful for them both. 

Nayeon runs away one year and is gone for months, radio silent. It’s not the first time she’s done this, but Sana can’t help but worry. Sana wonders where she goes. Wonders who she finds to keep her company. Wonders if Nayeon will ever find what she’s looking for. Is terrified by that possibility. 

But this time, Sana has Mina. Mina simply grows quiet when Nayeon leaves. Throws herself into her work more than ever. Smiles just a little less. But is warm and real, nonetheless.    
  


One night, Sana is staying over at Mina’s during Nayeon’s absence. They’re curled up on the couch, watching a movie Sana really has no interest in. But Mina’s eyes are wide, and so Sana nuzzles into her side and lets her eyes begin to droop. She’s never been one to fall asleep during movies though, and so she stays in a partial state of awareness, simply enjoying Mina’s nearness.

Once the credits roll, and Mina reaches for the remote on the coffee table, Sana sits up drowsily and rubs her eyes. 

“Do you think she’ll ever come back?” Mina asks, so quietly that Sana barely catches it. 

Sana leans forward and holds Mina’s face in her hands, gently running her thumbs across Mina’s cheeks. “She will. She always does.”

“What do you think she’s doing right now?”

There’s a pause as Sana thinks, biting her lip. Her hands drop from Mina’s face. “Maybe in a club in Europe.” She imagines Nayeon stumbling alone through the narrow alleyways. It’s worrying, but Nayeon has managed to take care of herself all this time. “Missing you, certainly.”

Mina frowns, so Sana repositions herself so that her head is resting on Mina’s lap. “I think she’s...looking for her soulmate. She won’t admit it, though.”

Running her fingers through Sana’s hair, Mina sighs. “Why don’t you ever disappear for months to jetset around the world, too? Don’t you want to find your soulmate?”

“Of course I do. But I’m enjoying this youth while I have it, spending it with people I love. I’m in no rush to grow old. I want to enjoy this life for as long as I can. And when I’m ready to leave this place, I want Nayeon to be too, so we can leave it together.”

It’s a nice thought. Nayeon and Sana hand in hand, meeting their soulmates at the same time. Allowing time to tick on for both of them in tandem. Though they aren’t fated to be together, the least the universe could do to make up for it would be to let them break their chains in unison. Exploring the long forgotten concept of time together, like blowing the dust off an old record that hadn’t been played in many years. 

But the universe is not kind. Perhaps Sana, Mina and Nayeon know that better than anyone. 

Mina takes in the small smile on Sana’s face. It looks dangerously hopeful. 

That has always been Sana’s flaw, Mina thinks. Despite the mess of her that Nayeon made, a small part of Sana would always hold onto her whimsical, ridiculous fantasies. 

But unlike Nayeon, that’s what Mina loves about Sana the most. 

Mina cranes her neck down to lightly dust a kiss atop Sana’s forehead. 

❖ ❖ ❖

Nayeon comes back, just as Sana says she would, and acts as though she was never gone. Sana welcomes her back with open arms, like always. 

Mina yells for the first time since Nayeon and Sana have known her. Screams at Nayeon with tears in her eyes. She asks Nayeon how she can be so selfish and cruel to disappear without a trace. 

Nayeon can’t make up for Mina’s sleepless nights, but she will hold Mina’s hand until the girl stops crying. Pull her into a long, silent hug until her breathing steadies. Sana leaves the room so the two can be alone. 

And time ticks on again. 

Everything after that happens much more easily. Like fate, set in motion. Nayeon hardens Mina—teaching her how to survive year after year, frozen in time. Sana cracks Mina open, demanding to not bury her feelings. It’s a fine balance between them. 

By the time Mina has been 25 for fifty years, there’s almost nothing she hasn’t done. She’s explored every part of the world she’d dreamt of visiting as a child, multiple times. Conquered some fears, but let others remain. Watched friends find their soulmates, get married, and grow old. Lost her brother, only to watch his daughters start to grow up. 

Mina has not found her soulmate. Neither has Sana, and neither has Nayeon. 

And yet, she’s happy. She’s happy living life in a familiar routine. Finding solace in diving into her work, and also in the gradually shifting technology. It presents a challenge for herself and her company. Occasionally, Nayeon and Sana attempt to bring her on wild adventures and get her out of her comfort zone. But it’s only for a moment, and then when she’s alone again, she reverts back to the person she’s always been. Guarded. Cautious. Calculated.

But was she always this way? Mina can’t help but think back to her early life. Childhood. Her mom’s hand in her own, making her feel protected. Learning how to rollerblade on the cul de sac with her brother. Falling down and scraping her chin bloody, but always getting up again. Diving into the pool at her friend’s house head first. Without hesitation. The feeling of the cool water submerging every part of her. Electrifying. 

Then her teenage years. Talking back to her parents. Sneaking out at night to join her friends on trips to nowhere. Ultimately making the decision to study abroad when the time came. Leaving behind her family and the only home she’d ever known simply because she  _ wanted _ something more. 

Once, she was reckless. And hopeful. And  _ alive _ . 

Living doesn’t always feel like living anymore. Not when it all blurs together. And that thought is always in the back of Mina’s mind, even when she was happy. Again, she couldn’t help but marvel at Nayeon and Sana’s strength. Their courage to keep going, day after day, with no end in sight. Sometimes the thought of not finding her soulmate truly wears Mina down.

Occasionally, when Mina and Sana are alone, she lets these thoughts come out. Sana can be trusted, after all, to carry great secrets. She wouldn’t write Mina’s thoughts off as weakness, nor judge Mina for saying such forbidden things like Nayeon would. 

Sana, sometimes, would echo those same thoughts, and the two of them would stare at each other in a moment of euphoric realization. They were not alone. Not in the way Nayeon, who seemed impervious to the psychological weight of immortality, often made them feel. 

The three of them were simply ghosts making rounds through their pristine, empty mansions. They could only materialize in short spurts, feeling as though they were finally a part of the world instead of being swept away by its ever flowing tide. When they suddenly existed in moments like this—Sana’s hand in Mina’s, intertwined so tightly that it hurt, though Mina would never dare speak a word, because she needed it, too—it felt like maybe there was a point to all this, after all. 

All these years, she’s gotten to be with two people she loves. Her lifestyle is luxurious, just as she’d always dreamt it would be. She sits on top of her throne of broken clocks with an unchallengeable power she’s never known before. She’s sad some days, and happy others, but she learns to accept that. Knows that it's no different for those living with their soulmates. 

After another year, Mina realizes she has stopped waiting for her soulmate at all. The thought barely even crosses her mind, anymore. It brings her a great sense of peace. 

Time goes on. And she’s okay with it. Sana and Nayeon’s love is enough. 

Then, as Mina gives her long-memorized speech to the new employees at the start of the year—filled with words of inspiration that she doesn’t truly believe and yet rolls off her tongue vigorously and with ease—her eyes briefly land on a woman in the crowd and a rush of intense emotion crashes upon her. Filling up her lungs so that she could no longer breathe. Her speech pauses as she struggles to remember the words that come next. The words she had said every year for a decade. 

_ This position will not be easy. There will be many challenges, and situations where the answer isn’t always obvious or attainable in a day. But you must learn to be resourceful, and to examine things through a different lens if one proves to be unfruitful. We expect only the best from our employees. But we’re confident you have what it takes to excel here. I can assure you that your efforts will be rewarded. Your loyalty will go far. After all, your success is now our success.  _

That’s what Mina means to say, but her mind is filled with nothing but this woman’s eyes. So large, and alarmingly familiar, although Mina is certain she’s never seen them before. As Mina takes a moment to collect herself and wipe away the surprise etched onto her face, she can see her own disarray mirrored in the woman’s wide eyes and parted lips. She surely felt it too. This overwhelming amount of wholeness.

A moment of awkward coughs from the crowd passes before Mina finally clears her throat and pulls her gaze away, continuing on the sentence she’s left off at as if she hasn’t stumbled in the first place. As the speech concludes and the small crowd of entry level employees applauds, Mina gives a polite bow, putting on a peasant but filtered smile. She makes sure not to look in that woman’s direction again as the crowd is ushered out into the rest of the building to resume their tour. 

Mina manages to keep up the smiles and pleasantness until she is able to lock herself away in her office. Then, she grabs the nearest pillow on the couch by the door and screams into it until she is gasping for air and pale in the lips. This is not supposed to happen. This was  _ never  _ supposed to happen. 

She is supposed to live on forever with Nayeon and Sana. That is the only future she’d imagined, anymore. Though it seems the universe, after 53 years of nothing, has finally decided to deliver what Mina is no longer remotely interested in. Her youth is going to slip away like sand through an hourglass. Her days are finally numbered, and she’s terrified.

The third of January is the day that Mina makes eye contact with her soulmate. 


	2. full stop

When Nayeon first met Sana, it was snowing outside.

Not heavily, but enough to cover the roads and make travel unsuitable, though not impossible. 

There was nothing lavish about her life yet. Despite having been 25 for 45 years, Nayeon had been working hard every day. She hadn’t yet caught her big break, investing in the industry meant to allow people to meet their soulmates faster. She had a lot of ideas, but nothing to back them up yet. But one day, she’d help make the world feel a lot smaller. 

She wandered into a bar to escape from the cold, nothing more and nothing less. It was a Saturday night and she needed to be away from home for a bit. 

After she sat down at the bar and requested something hard and strong to warm her bones, the sound of piano notes filled the relatively small room. She turned around to see a pretty woman sitting in front of the piano, staring down at the keys as her slender fingers glided across them. At first, Nayeon didn’t pay her much mind, but then the woman started to hum a tune—wistful and longing. Hauntingly familiar.

It demanded Nayeon’s attention, though she momentarily pulled her gaze away. 

The other men and women sitting around the piano gave the woman encouragement and she giggled in embarrassment. It was a soft, melodic sound. Under the countertop of the bar, Nayeon’s leg began to shake. 

Then, the woman at the piano started to sing.  
  
  
The bartender set down Nayeon’s glass and she gingerly took a sip while continuing to listen to the soft singing. It was entirely too good for what Nayeon could’ve possibly expected coming from a bar like this one. Cheap, sticky and dark.   
  


By the time the song was over, Nayeon was completely turned around on her stool, unable to hide her captivation any longer. After some clapping and cheering from the people who Nayeon could only assume were the woman’s friends, she stood up from the piano bench and gave a slight bow. 

When she lifted her head, a bright smile on her face, she met Nayeon’s eyes. They stared at each other a moment, holding their breath. Waiting. Willing for the instant rush they’d heard about from friends and family who had met their soulmates.   
  
  
But there was nothing. Just the distance of a room between them. They were strangers and nothing more.

Nayeon was the first to turn away, face flushed from more than just the alcohol. A few minutes later, the stool beside her slid across the floor sharply and the singer sat down beside her. 

“I haven’t seen you here before,” Sana said, nodding to the bartender who wordlessly grabbed her usual. 

“First time.” Nayeon allowed her eyes to meet Sana’s again. She was even more beautiful up close. Glowing, even. 

Propping up her head on her elbow, Sana stared at Nayeon with interest. “Do you play?” she asked. Then: “Piano, I mean.”

Nayeon glanced back to the now empty piano seat. “No. Never quite had the patience for it. Or the discipline. You played lovely, though.”

“My parents made me learn when I was young,” Sana dismissed, with a laugh. “It’s a skill I’m glad I have, though.”

“Perhaps you can be a singer, someday. Featured on the radio, even.”

Sana’s eyes shone with something amusing. “I’ve thought about it. Maybe one day.”

“I’ll be waiting for it, so don’t let me down,” Nayeon said playfully, taking another sip of her drink. 

Smiling, Sana leaned forward a bit more. 

“That song you were humming,” Nayeon continued, “before you started singing, it sounded familiar to me. I must’ve heard it before.”

Cocking her head slightly, Sana raised an eyebrow. “That’s impossible. I came up with it myself. An original melody.”

Nayeon hummed, then bit her lip. “Must’ve reminded me of another tune then. It’s quite sad.”

“It’s actually how I feel love would sound if it could be turned into a song. Hopeful. Ugly. Passionate. All at once.”

“I thought of loss, anxiousness and longing when I heard it,” Nayeon admitted. “I guess that’s the thing about art though, it can be interpreted in any way.”

“Two people can hear the same song and think of vastly different emotions,” Sana agreed. “But as the composer...I’m telling you, your interpretation is _wrong_.”

There was a smug smirk on Sana’s face, so Nayeon rolled her eyes. 

“You haven’t met your soulmate, I take it?” Sana asked, straight to the point. The bluntness took Nayeon off guard.

Taking a large swig of her drink, the alcohol burned down Nayeon’s throat, and she winced slightly. “No. Not yet, anyway,” she stated, resolutely. 

“Me neither,” Sana said, sighing a bit. 

“I’m working on something that will help people meet their soulmates a lot sooner,” Nayeon blurted out, noticing Sana’s frown. When Sana’s eyebrows raised in interest, Nayeon continued. “There’s millions of people all over the world. Your soulmate could be on the other side of the planet, for all we know. That’s why _transportation_ is the future.” 

“Like automobiles?” 

“Yes. But I’m thinking bigger. On a grander scale. Aviation.”

“Aircrafts?” Sana’s eyes were wide now, with delight.

Nayeon nodded eagerly. “Imagine if you could fly to Europe, or Africa or South America by airplane in a matter of hours! Not limited to traveling by sea on a trip that could take weeks. Imagine all the people you could meet then...”

The woman’s voice trailed off then, but Sana could see the extraordinary vision in Nayeon’s head as if it were being projected like a moving picture on the wall in front of her.

Taking another large swig of her drink, Nayeon let out a light laugh. “I sound like a mad woman, don’t I?” she asked. Lips pressed together into a thin smile, she met Sana’s gaze again. “Talking about such impossible things.”

“Not at all,” Sana immediately assured. The distance between her and this stranger was beginning to dwindle from polite to frustrating. “If no one dared to dream impossible things, where would that leave the rest of us?” Her eyes were exquisitely bright—shining as if Nayeon was the only one in the bar. The only one in the _world_. 

“In safe hands, I can imagine,” Nayeon mumbled. Her eyes dropped down to Sana’s lips for only one moment, but one moment was all Sana needed.   
  
Everything fell into place.   
  


* * *

  
The night after Mina sees her soulmate, she stumbles home from work early in a daze, unable to focus. She unlocks the door to her apartment, kicks off her shoes, throws off her jacket and crawls into bed. Not bothering to even change into pajamas, Mina lays there until she falls asleep. 

She sleeps until early the next morning and wakes up feeling like complete shit. As if she drank too much the night before, but even worse. Achy, throbbing head, but she knows her world feels unsteady and unfamiliar now not because of any alcohol. 

Checking her phone, she has a missed call from Sana. No text or voicemail. 

Nayeon texted her once in response to something she had sent yesterday, that is all.

Neither one of them is aware of the emotional distress she is under. Completely oblivious to the shock that went through Mina’s system. One that is still processing fully. 

She doesn’t feel any older than the day before. There’s no magical or distressing feeling now that time is ticking forward for her again. That’s when she remembers that life used to be like this every day. Though now it is much scarier than it once was, all those years when Mina could not stop counting down the days until she turned 25 and eligible to figure out who her soulmate was. 

The idea of phoning in sick to work sounds appealing more and more by the minute as Mina checks her work emails, sifting through the correspondences with coworkers and clients alike that now seem meaningless. Having the day to herself to try to regain some semblance of sanity would be preferable. But then, Mina realizes, maybe the work would be good for her. Force her to think about something other than her blaring new reality. 

But as Mina walks into the lobby of her building, she is immediately bombarded by the memory of those two large eyes staring back at her. Wild, and amazed. Etched into her mind unwillingly. Everywhere she looks, she is reminded of her soulmate. Wondering what the woman is up to now. If she had arrived to work already, early like Sana always did. If she was the type to always run a few minutes late, like Nayeon. 

Mina purges these thoughts from her mind. Immediately reminds herself that she does not care. She does not want to know anything about this stranger who is now invisibly tethered to her. There are two women in her life already that she loves dearly. Two she intends on spending the rest of her life with. She will not let anyone ruin that.   
  
No matter how pretty...

After a few hours, Mina is pulling strings to find out everything about this mystery woman. File laid out on her desk, Mina takes a deep breath before she opens up the manila file and lets her eyes rest upon the documents her hiring management team has collected and submitted.

Her soulmate’s name is Jihyo. She’s been 25 for only 5 years. 5 years—an alarming contrast to Mina’s 53. 

A wave of nausea crashes against Mina—a feeling she’s grown quite familiar with since yesterday afternoon. But she manages to continue on, seeing the woman specializes in communications management. Under notable achievements, Jihyo’s interviewer had written: _Captain of college soccer team for 3 years—at top university. Graduated with perfect marks. Recommendations from most highly regarded professors in the business field, as well as one of our own members of the management team here._

Strengths: _Communication. She stresses leading a team. Accounting for strengths but also weaknesses. Team is only as good as your weakest player._ (Weakest player is circled twice.) _Determining different possible outcomes._

Weaknesses: _Too blunt. She laughs here,_ the interviewer notes. _Growing comfortable with people too quickly. A bit of a work-aholic. She’s honest._

Jihyo’s formal photo, cropped into a square, stares back at Mina with the same look that she had first laid her eyes upon the day before. Mina allows her gaze to linger on the girl’s unique features. Strong and defined. Lovely. Mina’s chest aches, as if the girl she was decades ago before she met Sana and Nayeon has taken possession of her body again, and is making her eyes well up with silent tears against her will. 

She hates losing control like this. 

Slamming the folder closed, Mina leans back in her desk chair and closes her eyes, willing the butterflies to subside. She grabs the folder and throws it in the top drawer of her desk. It won’t be taken out again for another few days, but Mina will stalk the girl on social media, staring at Jihyo’s colorful pictures with friends and family on the phone only inches from her face as she lays in the darkness of her bedroom, waiting for tiredness to consume her. 

Tonight, Mina doesn’t sleep a wink. 

A few more days pass, and Mina feels as though she’s walking through a nightmare. She checks her reflection often, inspecting her face for any signs of aging, as if being 25 plus a few days now will start showing signs of graying hair and wrinkles. 

Sana wants to grab dinner later, but Mina finds excuses, saying work is keeping her late. It isn’t an unbelievable one, as Mina has too often been stuck at the office late, needing to go through approvals. It feels awful, lying to Sana, but Mina can’t stand to face her girlfriend. Not yet. 

Time. She just needs a little more time.

But the secrecy is gnawing away at Mina quickly. She can’t tell a soul what she’s going through, because the two people she shares everything with are those whom she can’t afford to know the truth. She longs to feel Sana’s embrace, burying her into a hug. Even Nayeon’s wise and attentive eyes, watching her. 

By the time Mina is home again, the emptiness of her apartment is unavoidable and cruel.   
  


* * *

  
Jihyo isn’t sure how she expects her first day at her new job to go, but it certainly isn’t like this.

She is a bit nervous, but also excited to be starting at a new company—one well known not only in Korea, but around the world for continuously innovating and reinventing communication technology. A company that is expanding in success and profit. It will offer Jihyo invaluable experience and contacts. 

It seems that the company hires in large rounds, because she’s being trained with a decent sized group of newbies, all eager and determined just like her. After being given a tour of the impressive office, the new recruits are shuffled into a large auditorium-like room on the main floor of the building, clearly purposed for large events. 

Jihyo is standing near the front of the group when the CEO, her new boss, emerges from backstage and strides forward so that she is facing the small crowd. Myoui Mina is shorter than Jihyo imagined, but just as stunning as she was prepared for. She’d seen pictures after all, on tabloids, TV, and through her own research. Myoui’s story was one Jihyo admired—her being one of the world’s first women to be the CEO of a tech company. An impressive feat she undoubtedly worked hard for. 

The speech Myoui gives is concise and simple. She’s not saying anything revolutionary, and yet everyone below the stage is captivated and clapping along respectfully. That’s when the woman’s eyes happen to lock with Jihyo’s, simply meaning to stop on her for a brief moment before she moves onto another random trainee. 

But that is not at all what happens, because the moment Jihyo is staring into this woman’s eyes, she feels as though her whole body pulsates with something marvelous and scary at the same time. Her sense of sight is hyper fixated on the woman on stage, unable to turn away or even exhale any shout of surprise. 

She stands there, simply gaping as the CEO stares back with her wide, pretty eyes, focused only on her. The woman’s well paced speech falters, and Jihyo knows she must be feeling the same indescribable feeling. After a few seconds of silence and awkward coughs, the woman continues with her speech, cheeks turning bright red. She looks anywhere but at Jihyo. 

Jihyo is not sure if she should be disappointed or relieved.

All she knows is that she can barely process anything she sees or hears afterward. She watches as the woman on stage quickly rushes off, and Jihyo fights the urge to chase after her.

She is her soulmate, after all. 

But Jihyo doesn’t see the CEO for the rest of the day, so there’s no opportunity to say anything to her. As soon as the orientation is over and new employees are dismissed, Jihyo is racing out the door, speed walking to her car parked in the adjacent parking structure. Once she finally is in the privacy of her own vehicle, she pulls out her phone and dials her best friend. 

  
“The CEO of my company is my _soulmate._ What the fuck am I supposed to do, Jeong?”

Like many others, Jihyo has been looking forward to finding her soulmate. Not in a way where she waited for it daily, moping and wishing for the process to speed along, but in the way that she was simply curious to see who the universe had deemed to be her perfect fit.

Her expectations were high. But this...was unexpected. 

There’s quiet on the other line for a moment. Jihyo is already preparing to hear something snappy and unhelpful from her best friend of ten years. Then: “Say something to her?”

Jihyo sighs, loud and exasperated. “Isn’t that unprofessional? And I’m like ten stories _beneath_ her. I don’t even have the clearance to get her coffee.”

“I have a feeling she’ll reach out to you.” Jeongyeon chides. Always relaxed, and unworrying. “But let’s backtrack a bit and celebrate this moment. You met your soulmate!”

Part of Jihyo is excited, sure, but she’s mostly embarrassed and nervous. “I guess,” she murmurs. “But I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be my boss, and that I wouldn’t be finding out on my first day.”

Jeongyeon snickers at that, finding amusement at her friend’s dismay. “Your soulmate is a rich and pretty CEO! Cry me a river.” 

Sure, in theory, it sounds nice. Like a fantasy, even. But the more Jihyo thinks about it on her drive home, the more she realizes that her job may be in jeopardy. Work relationships were never appropriate, after all. 

Besides, if anything she’d seen in the tabloids were true, she knew Myoui Mina was involved with various people over the years. She had no idea of the validity behind any of the headlines, and could only hope things would not be messy for either of them. 

Jeongyeon, both to Jihyo’s relief and dismay, is right. Her supervisor finds her at her desk a few days later and announces that the CEO herself has called for Jihyo, and that she should head up to the top floor immediately. 

Feeling a bit embarrassed—as if she just got called to the principal’s office, Jihyo stands up, adjusts her blazer, and heads toward the elevator. 

The top floor is everything Jihyo expected it to be. Modern and expensive looking. There’s an endless waterfall running down a clear pane of glass in the lobby. A woman sitting behind the front desk nearby looks up, smiles at Jihyo, and tells her that Ms. Myoui is waiting. 

Jihyo hates that she feels nervous, stepping up to the slightly ajar office door, which reads the CEO’s name in bold print. She knocks on the door twice before sticking her head inside, spotting the woman sitting behind her large, encompassing desk. 

The woman looks up from her desktop and gives a polite nod. She’s wearing a white blouse tucked into a fitted black skirt. Her blonde hair falls loosely at her shoulders, without so much as a strand out of place. _Pretty,_ Jihyo notes, getting a better look at her soulmate up close. 

“Please, Miss Park, sit,” Mina gestures to the seat in front of her desk and Jihyo obliges. 

Once Jihyo is comfortably in the chair, Mina clears her throat. “I’m sure you can assume the reason why I called you here today.”

Jihyo nods. “We’re soulmates.”

At the statement, Mina subtly bristles—hand gripping tightly along the sharp edge of her glass desk. “Yes,” she muses, trying her best to shrug it off with a casual smile. “Soulmates.”

Sensing the tension, Jihyo leans forward in her seat slightly. “I’m prepared to quit as early as tomorrow. I would never want to negatively affect your career or make you feel uncomfortable in any way.”

“Miss Park, please, that isn’t necessary,” Mina assures. “You’ve worked hard to get here and you’ve earned a spot at this company. I would not want something as trivial as this to impact your career path.”

_Trivial?_ Jihyo’s eyebrows raise. 

Mina crosses her legs and then uncrosses them, folding her hands on her lap. “I have no problem keeping our relationship strictly professional. You’ll be able to do the same, won’t you?”

For some reason, the pointed way Mina is looking at her rubs Jihyo the wrong way. She wasn’t sure what to expect of their first conversation, but this surely isn’t it. “Of course, at the office. But outside of work—“

“Outside of work?” Mina asks, playing coy. “What do you mean?”

Jihyo bites her lip as her brows furrow, looking surprised. “Our relationship outside of the office. I won’t let that affect my work here, I can assure you.”

“What relationship?” Mina’s face is emotionless. Her voice, deadpan. “We’re strangers. Two women who made eye contact. Nothing more.”

A strange sound erupts from Jihyo’s throat. She feels as though she’s been slapped. Her face stings with the weight of Mina’s sharp words. “You don’t want to get to know your soulmate?”

“I have no desire to do that, you are correct,” Mina replies, without missing a beat. The disinterest in her eyes makes Jihyo’s stomach twist. 

“You love someone else, then?” Jihyo assumes. It’s a logical explanation. Of course rich, smart, beautiful, powerful, Myoui Mina would be in a relationship.

Mina hesitates for a moment before nodding her head. “I don’t believe questions about my personal life are appropriate,” her voice trails off for a moment, and she sucks in a breath, “but yes, I do.” 

“I see,” Jihyo says. There’s disappointment laced in her voice. Mina hates the way it makes her instinctively feel bad. As if Jihyo’s feelings somehow matter to her already. “Well, I suppose that’s fair. But you know that love between soulmates is—”

“—I was perfectly content with my life before making eye contact with you,” Mina interrupts, unable to stand another word coming out of the other woman’s mouth. Jihyo can feel the bitterness behind her words, poisoning the air between them. 

At that, Jihyo scoffs. She’s trying her best to remain professional, but Mina is making it hard. “You act as though I planned this. Like I had any say in the matter.” Jihyo’s voice is level and tough. 

Again, Mina can feel her heart betraying her, aching slightly for this stranger, but she thinks of Nayeon and Sana, and that feeling subsides immediately. “Besides the fact that time is unfortunately ticking on again for us both, nothing has changed. I’ll keep living my life, and you’ll keep living yours. Separately, as they’ve always been.” 

Jihyo nods a few times, raising her chin. Any disappointment she had felt earlier has now been replaced with anger. She won’t let the blows to her pride show on her face. No, she’ll walk out of this office with dignity. 

“I can assure you, Ms. Myoui, that if I could have chosen my soulmate, it certainly wouldn’t have been you.” Jihyo rises to her feet, adjusting her blazer and giving Mina one long, fiery stare, before she strides out the door without looking back. 

At this moment in time, Jihyo doesn’t care if she gets fired. Nothing can possibly be worse than what she just experienced—the realization that her soulmate wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. And the girl had never even given her a chance. 

* * *

Later that night, Mina calls Sana, unable to sleep. Sana picks up on the third ring, sounding far too awake for 1 AM. 

“Have you ever considered the fact that the whole concept of soulmates is a complete hoax?” Mina says off the bat, without so much as a hello. “What if our soulmates aren’t truly perfect for us? The universe isn’t a machine. It doesn’t have a complex algorithm designed to find someone who exists just for us. Looking at how flawed the world is, the soulmate system must be inherently flawed too. So what if it’s all a lie? The universe's way of shutting us up and killing us off. Nothing more than a way to hold society together.” 

There’s a long pause on the other line. For a moment, Mina thinks that perhaps Sana has fallen asleep on her, but then she hears the ruffling of bed sheets, and the sound of soft padding feet on what Mina imagines is the master bedroom floor. There’s a sound of a door closing, more walking, and then finally: “When did you meet them?”

Mina debates playing coy. Brushing off Sana’s lucky guess. But Sana, Mina had learned, is good at spotting someone’s bullshit a mile away. Especially hers.   
  
  
So instead of brushing off Sana’s question, Mina sighes. Long and drawn out. Before she says: “A few days ago. At orientation.” 

There’s another long, silent pause. Almost as if Sana is holding her breath. “They’re one of your new employees?” Her voice comes out small, and a bit fluttery, as if she’s been winded. 

“Yes. While giving my usual speech. Her name is...Jihyo.” Saying her soulmate’s name, Mina can’t help but blush slightly. Her stomach constricts though. Her tongue feels heavy. Every word sending daggers of guilt through her heart. 

Mina can’t see it, but Sana is pacing around in the guest bedroom she’s wandered into, unable to sit still. She takes a breath, and stretches out her face into a smile. “You need to send me a picture right now! And tell me all about her!” Sana’s voice is now back to normal—bright and positive. 

It hurts to hear Sana force it, so much so that Mina nearly hangs up the call then and there. But she can’t run from this, nor from the pain she is causing. Mina mumbles something about having to search for a picture when in reality she has 5 recently saved pictures in her camera roll from her social media stalking. After twiddling her thumb for a minute, Mina sends Sana a picture she thinks represents Jihyo the best—in it, Jihyo’s grinning widely—before she raises her phone to her ear once again. 

Letting out a content hum, Sana looks closely at the picture of Jihyo that has now shown up on her phone. “She's gorgeous, Mina,” Sana replies, earnestly. “Have you talked to her yet?”

“Once.”

“And how did it go?”

Mina lets out a small, sad chuckle. “Well, I told her I wanted to keep our relationship strictly professional, so you can imagine how that went.”

Sana is silent on the other line for a few seconds, taking in a shaky breath. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know her.” That’s all Mina says, as if that’s enough of an explanation. At Sana’s resonating silence, Mina switches her phone to her other ear. “I don’t want to.”

It’s a lie of course, and Sana knows it. One thing that her, Mina and Nayeon all have in common is their intense curiosity. Especially as the decades pass, they pride themselves in knowing how things work, and what things are. After all, one could never know everything, no matter how many years you studied and learned. And perhaps that’s the beauty behind it—in the not knowing. Still being mystified by the strange and peculiar. Everything that we cannot yet explain. 

That’s what Sana thinks, anyway. She’s a curious person, but she doesn’t feel that deep rooted desire to have all the answers like Mina and Nayeon do. The world would be a lot crueler, she thinks, if every dark crevice and crack was illuminated for all to see. Every imperfection exposed—fantastic fantasies nothing more than disappointing realities. Our worst fears becoming real. 

“Oh come on,” Sana retorts, rolling her eyes. “I know you’ve probably studied up on her file. Stalked her on social media too…”

Mina is very thankful that Sana can’t see her flustered and red face through the phone. “That’s not true!” she protests, but her stuttering voice betrays her.

Sana giggles, satisfied. “Seriously, Mina. Why not get to know her? At least give her a chance.”

“I don’t need her,” Mina insists. “I’m happy now, with you and Nayeon.”

Here, Sana knows Mina is telling the truth. She is _happy_ in her own deluded and misguided way. It is really the only thing keeping them sane—pretending that they could have a happy ending.

But here Mina is—being shown the source of what could be her purest, truest happiness. A love that would make her feel as close to whole as anyone could ever be…  
  
And she was willing to throw it all away.

“That might be true, but Jihyo could make you even happier,” Sana notes. “You won’t know until you talk to her more.” She pauses as an idea dawns upon her. “What are you so afraid of?”

Mina scoffs.”I am not afraid! I just don’t believe we’re right for each other. You, Nayeon and I...” Sana can tell Mina is struggling to find her words. “We’re _right_.” 

Sana’s heart flips. She feels the same way Mina does, too. Wishes the universe agreed with them. But she won’t allow Mina to throw her soulmate away. “Alright, prove it then,” Sana says. 

The frown on Mina’s face lifts slightly as her mouth opens in surprise. “W-what?” 

“If you are not afraid, and you think that you and Jihyo don’t belong together, then prove it. Get to know her, and see just how wrong you are for one another.”

At the thought of seeing Jihyo again, Mina can feel her heart speeding up and racing ahead unsteadily. “I refuse to be roped into your silly games.”

“Fine, I’ll just take that as a loss on your end. I see you’re too afraid to put your money where your mouth is.” The banter reminds Mina of something Nayeon would say. 

Mina knows exactly what Sana is doing. Trying to use reverse psychology to get Mina to do what she wants. But even though Mina knows what’s going on, that doesn’t surpass the need to defend her honor. 

Besides, Jihyo and her were _clearly_ incompatible. Mina could easily set the girl’s attractiveness aside. “Okay, let’s say I get to know her a bit and...I like her? What then, Sana? Where do we go from there?”

There’s silence on the other line. Because of course Mina will like Jihyo, and Sana knows this. “Well, I guess that depends what you’d want. And what Jihyo would want as well.” Sana doesn’t need to be in the same room as Mina to feel the dread seeping off of the girl. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“ _If_ we get there,” Mina corrects. There’s another pause. Sana can hear Mina rustling in bed, restless. “Please don’t tell Nayeon.” Her voice is pleading and small. She grabs her comforter tightly, searching for some sense of stability. “She needs to hear it from me.”

Sana wouldn’t dare tell Nayeon. And of course, Mina knows that. But Mina still feels the urge to say it, regardless. “Of course. But when are you going to tell her? You know you need to tell her, right?” 

There will never be a good time to do it. “Soon...but not now.” Mina has to steel up her courage, first. She can’t help but feel like the traitor Nayeon thought she would be all along. It feels awful knowing she’s the one who found her soulmate first even though she’d been around the shortest amount of time. 

It was just as Nayeon said, they were inevitably fated to end here. Mina had just always hoped she wouldn’t be the one to make things fall apart. 

There’s a pause as Sana fiddles with one of the buttons of her pajamas. “Mina...Nayeon may not take it well.”

Mina smiles sadly against her phone. “I know. That’s what I’m truly afraid of. It’s not fair. It’s not fair to any of us.” There’s tears welling up in her eyes now. She quickly blots the corners with the back of her hand before they fall. Sana is quiet on the other line, listening to the unsteadiness of Mina’s breathing while doing her best to hold back her own tears. 

“I’m coming over,” Sana announces. Wanting nothing more than to pull Mina into a hug. The fact that it is nearly 2 AM does not matter.

Taking a breath, Mina gets a hold of herself again. “No, I’m okay,” she assures, though her wavering voice gives her away. “It would only make things harder, to see you now.”

It hurts Sana to hear Mina say that, but she understands. “Alright,” Sana says. “But please don’t take all this on yourself. I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” Mina mumbles, sniffling slightly. “Thank you for everything.”

It sounds like a goodbye, and Sana has to momentarily bite her fist, holding back a sob. 

“What you and Nayeon have done for me. All these years I’ve spent with you. They’re so precious to me. I just hope Nayeon will understand...I had no control over this. She _has_ to understand that...” Mina is so quiet now, Sana can barely hear her. 

Sana knows Nayeon won’t understand. She won’t because she’s Nayeon.

“Nayeon has never been reasonable,” Sana states, apologetically. Preparing Mina for the worst. Her eyes flick up to the wall in front of her.

A few rooms down, Nayeon is sleeping with her mouth open, splayed across more than half of the bed. Her wife’s restlessness has led Sana to many sleepless nights. But she doesn’t mind. After all, sleeping with Nayeon is much better than sleeping alone in one of the many empty guest rooms in the house. Rooms that feel unsettling as soon as Sana steps foot in them in the witching hours of the night. Like the second she closes her eyes, there is someone unseen watching. A darkness creeping closer, waiting to strike. 

A lurking fear which makes no logical sense. And yet...it chills Sana to the bone. 

Though right now, alone in this dark room, Sana is not afraid at all. Because whatever she has imagined hiding behind her closed eyelids, nothing is as terrifying as the reality she’s facing right now. 

Losing Mina. 

* * *

The next morning, Jihyo drags her feet as she enters her office building. It’s a tall structure, looming and imposing. When Jihyo had first interviewed here, she had stood at the base and marveled at its height. Now, it only put a sour taste in her mouth, thinking about who was on the top floor. 

No, she had not recovered from her talk with her soulmate yesterday. A conversation that surprised and irked her. That’s all she can think about as she rides the elevator a few floors up and sits down at her cubicle. She’s unintentionally curt with her coworkers as they tell her good morning. She takes a breath to calm herself, and figures a day of throwing herself into her work may do her some good.

Then she finds an email in her inbox with the subject. “An invitation.”

Intrigued, she immediately opens it to find the email is from none other than the CEO. The subject of all her thoughts in the past 24 hours. Jihyo had been able to clear the woman from her mind for only all of a few minutes.

_I would like to invite you to join me for a formal dinner Thursday night at 8:00 PM. I’ve attached the information about the restaurant of my choice, along with the menu for your convenience._

_Ms. Myoui._

Jihyo isn’t sure what she expected, but it certainly isn’t this. Not when the woman in question had made it abundantly clear she wanted nothing to do with her on a personal level just yesterday. Why the sudden change of heart?

Clicking on the email attachments, Jihyo can tell this place isn’t cheap and is well out of her usual price range. 

She types out a few various responses before deleting them all. One, a flat out rejection with a bit of a bite. Two, a response neither confirming nor denying the invitation, but imploring what exactly brought it on. And three, a short and curt acceptance. 

She debates calling Jeongyeon, but she knows exactly what her friend will say. “ _A five star restaurant with your rich CEO soulmate? Do I even need to spell this out for you_?” So Jihyo doesn’t call. Nor does she respond to the email at all. 

She has a feeling that, despite her silence, Mina will be there anyway. 

Sure enough, on Thursday evening after putting on her nicest red dress, Jihyo wanders into the restaurant and is whisked away by an overly friendly waiting staff member who brings her over to a quiet part of the building—secluded. And at the single table, rising to her feet the moment Jihyo steps toward her is Mina, dressed in a simple black long sleeve dress with her blonde hair tied back. 

She’s absolutely stunning.

And Jihyo can’t stand it. 

* * *

The beginning of their evening starts with quiet hellos. There’s an awkward silence that looms over both of them as they stare down at their menus. Mina has known what she wanted before she even stepped foot in the building—this restaurant is a favorite of hers, after all, and she always orders the same thing. She has already ordered a bottle of wine to split between them, sitting in the middle of the table now. Something expensive and white. Her glass is already half empty. She made good work of it while waiting for Jihyo, wondering if the girl was going to stand her up.

When Jihyo seems to have decided what she wants, the girls place their orders and their menus are taken away. They can no longer hide behind them.  
  
Jihyo prepared many snappy things to say to the woman who was nothing but rude to her the other day, but she can’t bring herself to actually say any of these things right now. So she remains quiet, fiddling with her gold bracelet. 

Finally, Mine realizes she must speak first. She musters up a bit of courage. “You must be wondering why I brought you here.”

“Considering it seemed you wanted nothing to do with me, yes I am a bit curious,” Jihyo replies, monotonous. 

Mina’s face contorts—clearly she feels guilty for their conversation in her office—but she doesn’t apologize. “I’ve decided, since we are soulmates, that not getting to know one another may be a waste. Foolish, even.”

Jihyo sneers. “As long as we keep it strictly professional, right?”

At the tone, Mina winces. “I apologize for my rash words in the office. I was just...taken off guard by you.”

Softening slightly, Jihyo leans back against the back of her chair. “I was not expecting this, either. To find my soulmate like this.”

“I’ve been around for awhile. To the point where I thought perhaps I didn’t have a soulmate at all. So you’ll see, my skepticism toward the concept comes from this fact.” Mina absentmindedly begins playing with the silverware on the table in front of her. 

“How old are you...if you don’t mind me asking?” 

Mina looks down at the white wine in the glass between her fingers, swirling it around gently. “I’ve been 25 for over 50 years now.”

Jihyo is not entirely surprised by this news. After all, most successful people these days were those who had not found their soulmate for a long, long time. When you had all the time in the world, you had more time to work toward whatever goal you set your sights on. “You’re 75,” she replies, staring. 

Under the woman’s gaze, Mina can feel herself begin to blush. “I wouldn’t put it like that,” she mutters, clearly embarrassed. 

It’s good for Jihyo to see Mina like this. Shy Mina—not cold and harsh under the stark office lighting. Jihyo can’t help but slyly grin. “I’ve only been 25 for 5 years.”

Mina feigns a bit of surprise, as if that wasn’t one of the first things she had dug up about her soulmate. Only another reason she feels any sort of relationship between them won’t last. Clearly their levels of maturity must be different—

“I guess that makes me quite young, in comparison,” Jihyo continues. The girl has a straight face, but there’s a glint of amusement behind her eyes. 

Shifting in her seat, Mina sets down her wine glass and folds her hands in her lap underneath the table. “Clearly we’re very different.” 

Tilting her head slightly, Jihyo continues to study Mina, who has now made eye contact with her again. “Are we? I don’t know the first thing about you. Besides what I’ve read in the tabloids, anyway.” 

Mina feels her face flushing again, but this time she curls her hands into fists and digs her nails into her palms, forcing the nervousness to fade into pain instead. She’s spent decades cultivating a public persona of mysteriousness and intrigue. She worked extraordinarily hard to not end up splashed across the tabloids as Nayeon and Sana sometimes were amidst their carelessness. Nayeon and Sana both liked the spotlight, Mina knew, though neither would really admit it. 

“You can’t believe anything you’ve read in those,” Mina says. 

Mina avoided the tabloids completely, not wanting to see one negative headline about her unless it was directed at her company or product, in which case she would read up on it thoroughly. But she wasn’t completely in the dark to some of the ridiculous rumors the press started. One that Mina was part of some secret society. That she was an alien. That she had slept her way to the top. Another that she was involved romantically with both Nayeon and Sana (which was completely true, though Mina would constantly deny it to the press). 

“I never do. I like to get my information directly from the source.” Jihyo tops off her wine, tipping her glass at Mina. “So please, enlighten me. Who is the real Myoui Mina?”

The woman’s boldness is getting on Mina’s nerves. She presses her lips together in a tight line. “I suppose I’ll indulge you a few boring basics. For starters, I was born in Japan.”

Jihyo nods. “Never been there before. Would like to go, though. Any siblings?”

Mina bites her lip, not liking the spotlight being on her. She takes another sip of her wine. “One, yes. He still lives there now. In the house my parents raised us in.”

Jihyo knows what that means—Mina’s parents have passed—but doesn’t pry. Not on such a touchy subject. “What was your dream career when you were a child?”

Mina is slightly surprised by this question, pursing her lips into a pout. Her childhood seems hazy and far away. “I haven’t thought about that in awhile. A singer, I suppose.”

Jihyo raises an eyebrow. “That was not an answer I was expecting.”

“Why is that?” Mina says, challenging Jihyo. “Do I not seem like I’m a good singer?” Her voice has raised an octave as she’s gotten defensive. Suddenly she looks so much younger, almost like a child. 

Masquerading her laughter with a fake cough, Jihyo quickly composes herself. “No, no that’s not it at all,” she assures. There’s a slight smile on her face now. “It’s just, a pleasant surprise is all. It’s vastly different from being a CEO.”

Mina’s narrowed eyes return to normal. “I suppose you’re right.” She rests her chin in her hands, and suddenly her eyes look far away. Lost in a memory of sorts. After a few seconds, she shakes her head slightly and returns to the present. “Okay, my turn to ask you something. Why did you apply for my company?”

Of course the question is formal and business related. Jihyo crosses her arms, pressing her lips together. “I wanted a new job. Something to give me more experience. And your company has a reputation of being a good work environment while constantly expanding and remaining on top.”

So vague, and yet it brings a small, satisfied smile to Mina’s lips. “Is communications and technology part of the draw for you at all?”

“I’m good at it, so yes. Technology isn’t exactly my strong suit, but managing a company focused on making global communication cheaper, more efficient, and accessible to all, certainly was a draw for me.”

“Managing? Already thinking of managing when you’ve just started at an entry level position?” Mina’s voice is laced with accusation and intrigue. 

“I like to set my sights high,” Jihyo admits, completely unashamed. She shrugs her shoulders. “I have confidence that I can greatly benefit your company.”

Mina isn’t sure whether she finds Jihyo’s ego annoying or attractive. She figures perhaps it’s a little of both.

“Well, I sincerely hope you can,” is all Mina says, but there’s a little bit of a twinkle in her eye. 

They exchange a few more questions before the food arrives. Then, they eat in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes. The food is amazing, though Jihyo tries not to show it on her face. She doesn’t want to give Mina that satisfaction. 

But as the night progresses, and they both consume more wine, Jihyo can feel herself loosening up. Too often she finds herself staring at Mina’s lips before she even realizes it, as if her eyes have a mind of their own. Mina’s lips look soft, and more often than not default into a small pout. 

Maybe Mina has noticed Jihyo’s subtle glances, but Jihyo sincerely hopes she hasn’t. 

And lucky for Jihyo, Mina has been too consumed by her own thoughts to be that observant, because she too feels a strange, uncontrollable pull toward Jihyo. A comfort, sitting across from the other woman in silence, despite the two being strangers. It’s like they’d done this before a million times in a past life. 

Mina can feel herself slipping already. Growing fond of Jihyo despite knowing only a few significant details about her. She curses Sana out in her mind, for putting her up to this in the first place. Because she can see herself falling for Jihyo, whether she wants to or not. 

She wonders then, if she’s falling on her own, or if the universe is pushing her, _forcing_ her. Like she has no choice in the matter. She thinks bitterly to herself, that she had fallen for Nayeon and Sana effortlessly with no additional force or assistance. Which love, then, was real?

Jihyo can see the strain on Mina’s face. Lines of worry. Lips pulled tight. “The person you love now,” she asks, softly, “do they make you happy?”

Over half of Mina’s life now is made of Nayeon and Sana. Threads of them, intertwined. Without hesitation, she nods. “They do. The years begin to blur together, but in the warmest of shades.”

A stolen kiss. Sana crawling into bed beside her. Two hands in hers on either side (and Mina, always in the middle). A bed big enough for three. Lazy weekends. Learning to cook Nayeon’s favorite dish. Dancing to pop music that made Mina cringe and yet giggling and twirling regardless. Whispers of praise, making Mina’s hair stand on end. 

Shades of gold. Shining. Bright enough to encompass any grey that had snuck in. Jihyo couldn’t possibly know, in her 30 years of existence, what that possibly meant. Love like that. Everlasting and maddening all at once.

“I was in love before,”Jihyo continues, unaware of Mina’s internal monologue. “Before I was even 25. I found someone I was so sure was going to be my soulmate. But then that time passed. We looked at each other. Nothing.”

“And did that stop you from being together?” Mina asks. She is genuinely curious.

“Yes and no,” Jihyo replies. “There were already so many red flags and reasons for us not to be. This was kind of the last push we needed to wake up.”

“That’s sad.” Mina wonders who this person is that captured Jihyo’s heart. Wonders if they made Jihyo feel the way Nayeon and Sana made her feel. 

Jihyo smiles. “Not really. I can’t imagine being with her now. She’s a pain in the ass.” But there’s a genuine fondness to her tone. Mina can see the feelings are still there, though no longer romantic. Feelings of platonic love. 

“When I was your age,” Mina replies, suddenly cringing at how old she sounded, “I was actually saving myself for my soulmate. I thought it was romantic. Then I turned 25, and well, I realized how silly that was. Waiting for the universe to pick for me. I figured I could at least enjoy myself while I waited.”

“And you’ve been waiting a long time,” Jihyo says, resting her chin on her hand as she gazes across the table at Mina. 

“I stopped waiting, awhile ago. Became happy with what I had, instead of longing for a fairytale.” This she had learned from Nayeon, and it had saved her from decades of sadness. 

“It’s not a fairytale anymore now though, is it?” Jihyo replies, gazing at Mina with an intensity that makes the other woman drop her eyes. 

_No,_ Mina wants to say. _It feels like a nightmare._ But she doesn’t. Because that really is no longer true. Not when she’s sitting here, in front of Jihyo, with the oddest feeling that somehow things will turn out okay.

They remain for about a half an hour after Mina has finished her meal, Jihyo finishing first. The glass of wine is empty. Mina feels a bit lighter, and Jihyo is watching her change of character in amusement. 

The CEO seems a bit more giggly and forward. It makes Jihyo smile more times than she would prefer to. She’s managed to get a few more personal details out of her. 

Jihyo knows now, Mina is involved with two people. She knows exactly who due to hearsay and gossip, but pretends she doesn’t. Learns that Mina no longer owns pets, because losing them again and again has become too painful for her. Finds out that Mina plays video games in her spare time, which is something they share in common. 

They’re in a place now where they’re not looking at one another as the enemy. It’s a relief to Jihyo, though it worries Mina. 

“Well, I did not have an awful time,” Mina admits, standing up to leave. When Jihyo rolls her eyes, Mina looks down at her feet and adds, “maybe even a nice time.”

“I’ll pick the restaurant next,” Jihyo says, standing up as well and slipping on her coat. She considers this a victory.

Mina presses her lips together. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Miss Park,” but there’s a playfulness to her tone. 

After they exit the restaurant and step outside, they stand a few feet apart from one another awkwardly. 

“I’ll see you at work,” Mina says, curtly giving Jihyo a nod before heading over to the valet to grab her car. 

* * *

The next time, Jihyo is the first to reach out through email. An invitation to one of her favorite restaurants as promised, much more casual and inexpensive, but excellent all the same. 

Mina complies (though Jihyo can’t sense her hesitancy and guilt as she responds).

And Jihyo nonchalantly sends her a time and place (though Mina can’t see the wide grin on her face seeing the acceptance). 

* * *

Mina agrees to see Sana in person two days after her first outing with Jihyo. It’s been almost a week since she’s seen either Nayeon or Sana—something she’d been dreading since locking eyes with Jihyo—and yet when she arrives at their countryside estate and sees them both, the usual fire in Mina’s heart ignites.

Nayeon is quick to notice that something feels different. She notices that Mina is unusually clingy to Sana. The girls are practically inseparable all night. Hands intertwined, bodies tangled on the couch. 

She writes it off as Mina just missing them both in the week they were apart. Normally it was Sana’s M.O., but Nayeon would not complain about her girlfriend being absolutely adorable tonight. 

After they all fall asleep on the couch watching a movie that didn’t really catch any of their interests, they stumble off to bed. Mina rests her head on Nayeon’s chest and falls asleep almost immediately. The position isn’t comfortable for Nayeon at all, and yet she doesn’t move. Her eyes flicker over to Sana, who is still awake as well, snuggled up against Mina’s back. The couple makes eye contact, and Sana gives Nayeon a reassuring smile she’s seen many times before. 

But there’s something sad behind it. Something that makes Nayeon’s chest ache. 

* * *

The next night, it’s just Sana and Nayeon again. 

Laying in darkness, backs pressed against one another, barely touching, Nayeon is the first to speak. 

“I think if it’d been Mina that you’d met first and married, you would be so much happier.”

It’s not a disdainful or venomous statement. There’s peace in it. And sadness. 

Sana breathes lightly, eyes adjusting to the lack of light. “You know that’s not true.”

Nayeon clenches and unclenches her fist, feeling the tips of her fingernails poke lightly into her palm. “All this time you’ve stayed with me. Why?”

Her wife can’t see it, but there’s a smile tugging at Sana’s lips. 

“You know why,” is all Sana says. 

“I do,” Nayeon admits. She bites her lip. “But I want to hear you say it.”

Sana is still, fighting the urge to either leave the room or roll over and engulf her wife. So small and fragile, besides her. 

“Because I love you,” Sana says, finally. So genuine, that Nayeon knows it’s the truth. “More than anything else in this world.”

Sana can feel Nayeon shiver slightly besides her. “How horribly cliché,” she whispers, but there’s no bite to it. Nayeon is too tired for that. 

“You must always remember that. And if you need me to tell you that every day, I will. I’ll say it to you as many times as you need. As many times as it takes for you to believe it.”

Nayeon feels Sana roll onto her opposite side, so that she’s facing her. Slowly, one of Sana’s arms snakes around Nayeon’s waist, and she shifts her body so that it’s flush against Nayeon’s. “You make it hard to forget,” Nayeon says. 

Sana smiles. “I’ve always loved beautiful things.”

Minutes pass by before either of them say a word again, and it’s Nayeon who breaks the silence. A quiet murmur, that Sana can barely make out. 

“It’s you and me, right?”

Nayeon feels Sana’s grip around her waist tighten, ever so slightly. “Always.”

* * *

That night, Nayeon has a dream she’s at the countryside estate, but the building is strangely empty. Lacking the warm memories and happiness she’s used to. She calls out for Sana or Mina, but no one answers. Nayeon stands in the foyer, at the foot of the stairs, waiting for something, but she’s not sure what. 

Finally, after what feels like hours, she looks up and sees a fleeting glimpse of Mina, running by on the second floor. A flash of light blonde hair racing by. Nayeon ascends the stairs, yelling after the girl, but she doesn’t stop. By the time Nayeon has climbed to the top, Mina has disappeared down the hall. Still, Nayeon moves forward, trying to find her. She runs from room to room, only ever seeing Mina in the corners of her vision. Always running away from her. 

In the waking world, while Sana lies restlessly awake, she feels Nayeon kick. A nightmare, Sana assumes. She nestles closer to Nayeon, tracing her finger lightly down Nayeon’s forehead to the tip of her nose, over and over again, until her wife stops stirring.

* * *

  
  


“So…’ Sana begins, looking to her left at Mina expectantly. The two of them are hiking through a trail together, alone. It’s a few days after she slept over Nayeon and Sana’s and the first time they’ve been alone in awhile. 

“So…?” Mina implores.

“How was your date?” Sana asks, impatiently. “You still haven’t told me!” 

Mina kicks a rock in her path without missing a step. “It was not a date,” she corrects. “We just got dinner.” 

Sana shakes her head. “Right, just two soulmates having dinner, alone. At one of your favorite restaurants.” There’s a playful smile on her face, and Mina huffs in response. “Okay, so how did your casual _outing_ go?” 

“It was...nice. She’s nice, I guess,” Mina replies, remaining as vague as possible, “if a little bit infuriating.” 

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Sana murmurs, with a fond smile on her face. “Someone you happen to love dearly.”

It’s a teasing statement, but it stops Mina in her tracks regardless, and Sana instantly regrets mentioning Nayeon at all. “Hey,” Sana says, reaching for Mina’s hand and entwining their fingers together. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. You know that, right?”

“We’re going out again, Sana,” Mina replies, lowering her head. A few decades ago, the bangs she used to have would cover her face, but now without them she could no longer hide. “Jihyo and I.”

“That’s great!” Sana chirps, squeezing Mina’s hand. Meaning it genuinely, despite the pang in her heart. 

“I don’t want to like her. But even just being with her for a short amount of time...I felt…” she struggles to find a word to describe the feeling, so new to her. “At peace.”

It’s scary to say it out loud, the effect Jihyo has on her already. But Mina trusts Sana to hear her and not freak out. To be the selfless person she always has been.

Sana takes her other hand and gently rubs Mina’s back up and down. Gentle and thoughtful. “She’s your soulmate, I would _hope_ you felt that way or else something would be seriously wrong. And I’m happy for you, Mina. Happy you’re giving her a chance.”

“I shouldn’t have,” Mina whispers. “It was stupid of me.”

“It was brave of you,” Sana corrects. “I’m not going anywhere, regardless of what happens. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“But, Nayeon—“

“Nayeon probably won’t be happy at first, no, but she’ll get over it,” Sana assures. It’s partially a lie though. Sana knows Nayeon will be crushed, but can only hope she’ll have the strength to overcome it.

After all, this was inevitable. One of them finding their soulmate. And Nayeon was always the one who said that. 

It didn’t make it hurt any less, though.   
  


* * *

  
It’s interesting to see Jihyo in casual attire—different from the pantsuits and skirts Mina is used to seeing her in. Interesting in a good way, Mina notes. The other woman looks cute. Mina chews on this thought as she bites into a piece of pork and stares across the table at Jihyo, who is focused down on her bowl of stew. 

“What do you think?” Jihyo asks. “Of the food?”

Mina gives an approving hum as she swallows. “It’s excellent.”

Jihyo beams, happy the woman is enjoying her restaurant pick. 

“I probably would never have gone in here on my own, so thank you,” Mina admits. It is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall mom and pop type restaurant, where Jihyo often found food was the best. 

“Only 5 star restaurants for you?” Jihyo jokes, but she is also genuinely curious. She knows Mina has a lot of money, but wonders if she lives as luxuriously as Jihyo imagines. 

Mina bunches up her lips into a pout—an expression Jihyo realizes her soulmate wears often. “No! I’ve just grown accustomed to fine dining, mostly.” She pauses for a moment. “I like ordering takeout from a few places like this, but if I went here with my girlfriends, we might get swarmed.”

“What do your girlfriends do?”

“One is an entrepreneur of sorts. She runs an aerospace company. The other is the founder of an entertainment company but she’s dabbled in a bit of acting and singing as well.”

“A celebrity, then?” Jihyo asks, leaning forward on her elbows. 

“Yes, I suppose you could say that. They’re both well known personalities.” Mina shifts in her seat slightly. “That’s the nice thing about being a CEO. I can still slide under the radar.” 

Mina shuts her mouth quickly, realizing she’s grown rather talkative. She rarely told anyone about her relationship with Sana and Nayeon—so the fact that she was so forthcoming shocked herself.

Jihyo had no idea about Mina’s internal horror and fascination, so she simply continued to sip contentedly on her soup. “I read a bit about your background before I applied for your company. Research and all,” she specifies quickly, feeling a bit of blush rise to her cheeks. “You rose up the rankings rather quickly. I was quite impressed.”

Now it was Mina’s time to blush. “Hard work and simply being in the right place at the right time,” she dismisses, shrugging it off. 

“I imagine there’s more to it than that. Your intelligence, for starters. And your determination,” Jihyo adds.”Especially in a male-dominated industry.”

Again, Mina shrugs the compliment off, but it‘s nice to hear the praise. She’s heard it before but coming from Jihyo it feels different. 

“Jihyo, can I ask you something?” Mina replies, abruptly changing the topic. After Jihyo nods, Mina continues. “What would you like to get out of this? Between us?”

Silent for a moment, Jihyo gathers her thoughts. “Well, to be quite honest I never envisioned anything else for myself besides marrying my soulmate and spending the rest of my life with them, you know?” 

Mina nods in understanding, though her cheeks are still red. 

“But I realize now things are never that simple, and I’m okay with just getting to know you for starters. I know you have two people you care about already, and I would never want to come between you three.”  
  
That’s not entirely the truth, of course. Part of Jihyo wishes that Mina was alone—simply waiting for her. So much less complicated.

Letting out a small, relieved breath, Mina nods. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “I’m still not quite sure what I’d like to do myself. I was at the point where I never imagined anything besides Sana and Nayeon. It was a silly future to bank on, of course. I know that now.”

“It’s not silly,” Jihyo assures. “You’re happy. You love someone. That’s all we want in life, right? And you have it.”

Mina has always considered herself lucky to have met Nayeon and Sana. Sana calls it fate, Nayeon dismisses it as coincidence. But all three are in agreement—they can’t imagine life without one another. “I’ve been with them both for over 40 years now, but it feels like forever.”

Jihyo’s eyes widen a bit, knowing that’s longer than she’s even been alive. “It’s kind of incredible that none of you have found your soulmate in all this time—until now of course.”

“I thought that sometimes maybe in a way, we were soulmates for that reason. Destined to be with each other…” her voice trails off. She knows Sana has rubbed off on her, always the romantic. 

“I almost feel bad,” Jihyo admits, “that we even made eye contact. That I applied for your company.” 

Mina shakes her head fervently. “Please don’t feel bad.” Her voice is soft, yet insistent. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way—and still am now. I’m the one who should be feeling bad, that you’re stuck with someone that isn’t...easy.” 

“I’m always up for a challenge,” Jihyo teases, making Mina let out a breathy laugh. “You shouldn’t apologize for being in a good place in your life. You’ve done well for yourself. I’m happy for you.”

A rush of warmth floods through Mina. How lucky, she thinks, that Jihyo is handling the situation so gracefully now. “Enough about me, let’s circle things back to you. Any fun plans for this weekend?”

“Oh, are you looking to hang out?” Jihyo asks seriously, with an eyebrow raised, but there’s a small smile on her lips. Mina opens her mouth to respond, clearly flustered, so Jihyo simply continues. “I have a practice game actually. I’m in a local soccer league and we have a match with another team before the season actually kicks off.”

Mina immediately remembers seeing pictures of Jihyo in her soccer uniform on her Instagram, and she unconsciously licks her bottom lip. “That’s fun! What position?”

“Midfielder. My best friend Jeongyeon is on the team as well. Keeps us both occupied and in shape. Makes me miss playing in college.”

“I played in college too, actually,” Mina replies, eyes lighting up. “It’s been many years since I’ve touched a ball, though. I do miss it.” 

“You should come watch the first game of the season next weekend,” Jihyo says, a bit shyly. “If you’re free, that is. It’s Sunday morning.” At Mina’s silence, she begins to ramble. “We get a decent crowd even at our games, so you wouldn’t be alone—and it’s against our biggest rival in the league—but if you have something else to do that’s totally cool—I’m sure you probably do have something else—you might get bored—“

The corners of Mina’s mouth quirks up into a grin. “I’m free.” Her heart pangs a bit with guilt again, but her curiosity gets the better of her. She wants to see Jihyo play. 

Jihyo stops talking and lets out a shaky, relieved laugh. “Well, hopefully you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“I have a feeling I will.”

* * *

The next day, Sana, Nayeon and Mina are in Mina’s penthouse, cooking dinner together in the chaotic way that comes with three people attempting to use the same, small space at the same time. 

In forty years, they still have not perfected it—although Sana tends to simply wash pots and pans as they are done to avoid pile ups in the sink later. Nayeon will stir the contents in a pan while Mina cuts and gathers ingredients. 

Often, they talk and laugh. But Nayeon is bad at multitasking—so when she gets talking the food stops being prepared, and Mina will point out how Nayeon has stopped working with a grumble, only to be met with a faux dirty look from Nayeon and a kiss on her nose from Sana. 

Today, they are listening to music and working efficiently in silence. This is nice too—just being near each other and enjoying one another’s company. 

But every moment spent with her girlfriends now feels stolen—like it is not for Mina anymore. Nayeon not knowing makes things worse. But Mina can’t bear to tell her, not yet, although Sana had insisted Mina tell Nayeon soon. 

After Sana has wandered into the other room—a work call of some kind coming up—Nayeon pulls Mina aside so that the two girls are close to one another. Mina looks into Nayeon’s wide, intense eyes and feels as though the woman can see right through her. 

Maybe Nayeon knows the truth—guessed it somehow. Mina’s heart begins to pound quickly as she waits for whatever it is the woman wants to tell her. 

“I’ve been working on something to bypass the soulmate system,” Nayeon declares. Mina blinks once—twice—three times. “Not for everyone, just for the people who want to,” Nayeon continues, seeing the look of shock on Mina’s face. “Something that would allow someone to age again despite not meeting their soulmate.”

It would allow the three of them to be together, Mina realizes. A cure for their immortality. At least in Nayeon’s mind where the three of them are still frozen in time. 

“Progress is slow—and I’ve been told it's impossible, but I’m trying regardless.” Nayeon looks determined—eyes shining with light and confidence. She’s trying to kill fate. 

It almost bubbles out of Mina’s mouth then—the truth that she is not plagued by immortality anymore. Her clock is ticking forward while Nayeon and Sana’s remains frozen. 

She bites her tongue, and simply pulls Nayeon into a long, sweet hug. “I really hope you can do it,” Mina mumbles. “If anyone can, it’s you.”

Nayeon lets Mina go but intertwines their hands instead, giving Mina’s a firm squeeze. “Please don’t tell Sana though, not yet. I don’t want to get her hopes up in case my team doesn’t pull through.”

“Of course,” Mina assures. 

After all, she’s good at keeping secrets. 

* * *

  
Jihyo receives a text from Mina one night before she’s going to bed. All it says is that Mina will be preparing lunch for them both tomorrow and that Jihyo should head up to Mina’s office during her lunch break. 

It’s touching, and Jihyo finds herself smiling like an idiot as she responds with a short and sweet okay and thank you. She’s curious to know what Mina has in mind, and if she’s a good cook.   
  
  
The beginning of their encounter begins awkwardly, as they always do, but as the girls grow more comfortable, they quickly relax, and Jihyo is able to appreciate how cute the little bento box is that Mina prepared for her—with the cutest of details.

Jihyo can picture Mina in her kitchen, hair up, brow furrowed as she carefully drops everything into place, perfectly. A perfectionist in the way Jihyo isn’t. 

It becomes a common occurrence for Mina to invite Jihyo up to her office for lunch on days where she isn't incredibly busy. Jihyo even cooks lunch sometimes, not wanting Mina to do all the work. Jihyo’s not the best cook, Mina learns, but she’s thankful for the effort. She forces down the slightly too salty pancakes with a fond smile.   
  


* * *

  
It’s not unusual for Sana to visit Mina at work during lunch. That’s exactly what she’s doing today, with a large paper bag in hand containing lunch for them both, as she rides up the elevator to the top floor of the building. 

“Oh, Ms. Minatozaki! Hello,” the woman at the front desk greets her. “Ms. Myoui isn’t alone in her office right now.” She says it apologetically, and her face is flushed. 

“Is she in a meeting?” Sana asks, cocking her head slightly to one side in question. 

The woman’s eyes shift. “Well, no I don’t believe so, but—“

“I’m sure Ms. Myoui won’t mind if I interrupt, then,” Sana says, shooting the secretary a sweet smile before quickly walking past the desk and toward the door. She has a feeling she knows who Mina is with currently. 

As Sana approaches the office door she hears an unfamiliar voice belonging to a woman she doesn’t recognize. Pleasant and full. Then there’s laughter. Mina’s laughter, and Sana’s heart soars. She raps twice on the ajar door before stepping inside, not even waiting for a simple “come in.”

Mina, who is sitting at her desk, immediately turns to face Sana with a startled expression on her face. And the other woman, sitting in the chair in front of Mina’s desk, turns to face Sana with curiosity.

“Sana?” Mina says, voice a bit squeaky. She coughs and then composes herself. “You didn’t tell me you were stopping by today.”

“I wanted to surprise you. I brought you lunch,” Sana explains, stepping into the room so that the paper bag she is holding is fully visible. But then she catches sight of the food already spread out on Mina’s desk and feels a bit silly. Normally the girl worked through lunch, forgetting to eat, but it seemed today was not one of those days. 

“Well, that’s sweet of you,” Mina replies, then turns to look back at the other woman in the room. Sana recognizes the woman from the picture Mina had shown her last week. _Jihyo._

“So sorry to interrupt!” Sana exclaims, scanning Jihyo with an amused grin. She walks over to where Jihyo is sitting and extends a hand. “I’m Sana, Mina’s girlfriend.”

Jihyo hesitates for a moment before taking it. “Pleasure. I’m Jihyo, a junior manager here.”

“And Mina’s soulmate?” Sana adds, causing Jihyo to stiffen. 

“Sana,” Mina says. It’s a warning. Her eyes are sharp and focused. 

But Sana is not looking at her. She bends down and pulls Jihyo into a hug. Jihyo is too surprised to even reciprocate. “It’s so nice to meet you, finally!” Sana chirps as she releases Jihyo, and Mina visibly relaxes. 

“Oh, likewise,” Jihyo murmurs, noticeably flustered. Surprised that Mina’s girlfriend is in such high spirits. Friendly, even. 

There’s an awkward pause. Mina swallows. “We were...we were just talking. About work. Over lunch.” Sana’s curious and amused eyes on her is almost enough to make Mina squirm. She refolds her hands in her lap, trying her best to look unbothered. 

Sana lets out a small chuckle at that. “Right, yes. Very busy with work, as always.” She turns back to Jihyo again. “She’s such a workaholic, it’s terrible actually.”

Jihyo lets herself smile, trying her best to also remain collected under Sana’s amicable stare. “I am too, so I know what that’s like.”

“So much in common!” Sana exclaims, though she really knows almost nothing about Jihyo at all. It makes Mina’s mouth twitch. “I hope you’ll both let yourselves relax a bit.” 

There's another moment of silence, and Mina desperately wishes to run out of the office and not look back. But, she supposes this meeting was destined to happen anyway. 

“Well, I’ll leave you both to it, then,” Sana says, saving them all from the awkwardness. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around a lot more, Jihyo.”

Jihyo abruptly stands then. “I should be going anyway, I don’t want to keep Ms. Myoui from her lunch.” 

Before Sana can protest, Jihyo quickly stands up and gathers up her trash. She had finished eating anyway. Nodding her head at Sana and Mina both, she walks swiftly out the door, gently closing it behind her. 

Mina lets out a small huff and Sana turns to face her with wide eyes. “Are you mad? I didn’t mean to scare her away.”

“No, no of course not,” Mina says, reaching for the lunch Sana brought her. “I just...was not expecting the two of you to meet under these circumstances.”

Sana walks over to Mina’s desk, looking at what clearly is a very painstakingly prepared lunch laid out in front of her girlfriend. If Mina’s feelings for Jihyo weren’t clear to Sana, they are abundantly obvious now. Even if Mina herself does not realize it. “She’s pretty! And that skirt—“

She’s interrupted by the sudden sound of Mina crunching the paper bag she has in hand loudly with her lips pressed together. “What about her skirt? I didn’t notice.” And with that, she removes the fries that Sana got her and begins to fervently chew on them. 

A smug smile lights up Sana’s face as she reaches in front of Mina and plucks a fry for herself. “I’m glad to see the two of you are spending time together.”

Mina opens her mouth to protest, but her mouth dries up as Sana continues to look at her knowingly. “We were discussing plans for this weekend, that’s all.”

The fact that Sana is completely unbothered and in a great mood irks Mina for reasons without logic. 

“Can we hang out, the 3 of us?” Sana begs. “I’ll coordinate everything myself! We can treat her!”

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet...not with Nayeon still in the dark.” If only Nayeon would take things as in stride as Sana, but she knows that would not be the case. 

Sensing Mina’s sadness, Sana walks to the other side of the desk and places her hands on Mina’s shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. 

“How are you so okay with this?” Mina asks, suddenly. 

Sana’s hands drop off her girlfriend’s shoulders, fingertips trailing along Mina’s arms. “I want you to be happy. You want the same for me too, right?”

Mina nods without hesitation. But she wonders if the roles had been reversed if she would’ve been as graceful and selfless as Sana. Knows she wouldn’t have been because Sana has always been the best of the three of them. The one with the biggest, most pure heart.   
  


Leaning her head back into Sana’s abdomen, Mina lets out a content breath.  
  


* * *

  
Sana is over Mina’s apartment a few nights later, waiting for Nayeon to arrive with some takeout. They decided unanimously that they needed a break from cooking, which they had been doing a lot of recently.

Mina is sitting on the couch and Sana is sprawled across her lap, staring up at her girlfriend instead of watching the drama Mina had put on. 

“So a soccer game, huh?” Sana muses. “That will be fun! Do you want me to come?”

Looking down at her girlfriend, Mina immediately shakes her head. “No, no…” her voice trails off. “I’ll be alright on my own.”

“Okayyyy,” Sana replies, drawing out the response disappointedly. “Maybe you’ll let me come to a game later on in the season?”

“I’m not sure if _I’ll_ be going to a game later on at all.”

Sana pokes Mina’s belly button. “What are you talking about? You and Jihyo are hitting it off!”

Mina’s face forms into a frown. “We’re friends. And I use that term loosely. That’s all.”

“Right,” Sana says, rolling her eyes. “You’re _friends_ with your very pretty, sweet soulmate who you have absolutely no chance of falling for.”

Smacking Sana’s arm lightly, Mina grumbles. “How do you know she’s sweet? You’ve only met her once, briefly.”  
  


“And one meeting was all I needed to know. And...I may have followed Jihyo on instagram,” Sana states, sheepishly. 

“You followed her?” Mina asks, voice loud and accusatory. “Even _I’m_ not following her yet!” 

“Well whose fault is that! Her account is public, okay?” Sana says in defense. “Besides, I’m just curious to know what she’s like since you barely tell me anything! She followed me back, by the way.”

Mina rubs her temples, sighing. “You’ve talked to her on there?”

“A bit,” Sana replies, smiling shyly. “She did ask me a few questions about you…”

Looking up, Mina pulls her mouth into a deep frown. “What did you tell her?”

“All your dirty secrets,” Sana teases, trailing her fingers across Mina’s collar bone and giving the girl a wink. 

Mina huffs and pouts at Sana. “Please don’t scare her off for real this time.”

“I’m just trying to befriend her, that’s all! She’s been nothing but polite and nice so far.”

It’s a strange thought—Sana befriending Jihyo. But it makes sense, if Mina wants them both in her life. Mina imagines Nayeon meeting Jihyo too, and wonders what she would think of her. 

Maybe one day.

As if sensing Mina’s thoughts, Sana glances back up at her girlfriend and says: “I think Nayeon would like her, too. May be a little jealous, even.” There’s a small smile on her face. 

“I think they may butt heads a bit. Big egos and all.”

Sana snorts at that, then shifts so that she’s sitting up, cross-legged, facing Mina. “Are you planning on telling Nayeon soon?” she asks, hopeful. 

Mina swallows, eyes dropping. “I need a little more time…”

Placing a hand on Mina’s wrist, Sana sighes. “Mina, the longer you wait, the worse it will get. Waiting isn’t gonna help anything. Besides, it’s hard for me to keep things from her. I think she can sense something has shifted.”

Nodding, Mina bites her lip. “I know,” she says. “I’m sorry I put you in a tough position.”

“This entire situation has been tough,” Sana admits, ever so quietly. A crack in her flawlessly positive facade. But she smooths it over before Mina can even realize. “I understand though. You’re still scared. I am too.”

Mina leans forward and tucks a strand of hair behind Sana’s ear. “Soon, I promise. I just need a bit more time with Nayeon in case she wants nothing to do with me once she knows.”

Sana knows Mina will keep her word, she just hopes it’s sooner rather than later. Wordlessly, Sana leans forward and places a soft kiss on Mina’s lips. Hopes that it can soothe her girlfriend’s worry, as well as her own. 

She lets herself get lost in Mina until they both hear the sound of the front door opening and Nayeon’s shrill voice announcing her presence. And even then, they only come up for air briefly before returning back to each other. 

Nayeon sets the takeout on the kitchen counter, face pulled into a frown after not hearing anything from the other two women in the apartment. “Hello? Food’s here!”

She wanders into the living room and that’s when she hears the two of them, clearly in the moment. Huffing, Nayeon crosses her arms and walks to the other side of the couch so that she is in their line of sight, clearing her throat. 

Mina is the first to make eye contact with Nayeon, face flushed. “Hi,” she mumbles, letting herself smile slightly. A few decades ago, she would’ve probably jumped across the room in embarrassment. But she’d grown used to this predicament by now. 

“I go out and bring you both food and this is the thanks I get, hm?” Nayeon replies, eyebrow arching. “Couldn’t even wait until I got back?” There’s a fake pout on her face. 

Sana finally tears her lips away from Mina’s neck. “It’s not too late to join,” she replies, eyes dangerously intense. 

“The food,” Mina murmurs half-heartedly, starting to pull herself out from under Sana. “It might get cold—”  
  
  
But Nayeon is already slipping off her coat and gloves, approaching the couch. Mina doesn’t fight it. 

The guilt of keeping Nayeon in the dark rears its ugly head again, but Mina drowns it out as Nayeon overwhelms her senses. Nayeon’s lips. Nayeon’s hands.  
  
  
Nayeon.   
  
  
For a short while Mina almost lets herself forget that anything is different. 

* * *

Mina’s nervous. 

She feels silly, alone in the bleachers. Groups of dedicated friends and family sit bunched up, chatting as they wait for the game to start. 

As soon as Jihyo sees Mina hesitantly sit down, her face lights up, and she waves enthusiastically from down on the field. Mina can’t help but smile back, giving Jihyo a small wave. 

A teammate of Jihyo’s runs up to her, says something to her Mina can’t make out, and then Jihyo is playfully shoving her. Mina assumes it must be the friend Jihyo has mentioned a few times before, Jeongyeon. 

Jihyo plays well—she scores a goal and assists with another. Each step she takes is calculated and sure-footed. Mina can’t help but be impressed, finding herself on the edge of her seat as the game is neck and neck until the end. 

After the game, Mina approaches Jihyo on the field, who is still a bit red and sweaty. She’s sitting on the bench beside Jeongyeon, taking off her cleats and slipping into regular sneakers. “Hey,” Mina says, giving Jihyo a wave again. The two girls immediately stop talking about whatever it was they were chatting about and Jihyo gives Mina a shy smile. “You did really well, and it looked like you all had fun.”

“Thanks, I’m really glad you could make it to see me play so well.” Jihyo is grinning from ear to ear. There’s a moment of silence before Jeongyeon taps Jihyo’s foot with her own. “Oh, um, Ms. Myoui, this is my friend Jeongyeon.” She winces at her own formality, but she still can’t bring herself to call Mina by her first name, at least not to her face. 

Despite Jeongyeon’s shoes not being tied, she stands up and politely shakes Mina’s hands. “It’s nice to meet you,” she says, nodding at Mina. 

“Likewise,” Mina replies. “I just wanted to congratulate you both before I head out. It’s a great start to the season.”

Jeongyeon sits back down and begins to tie her sneakers. “You know, Jihyo mentioned that you play?” She looks up at Mina with a relaxed smile. 

“Used to, a long time ago,” Mina corrects, feeling her face flush slightly. She wasn’t really expecting to meet one of Jihyo’s friends today. Jihyo’s _best_ friend, for that matter. Mina can’t help but feel Jeongyeon is observing her closely, looking for any imperfections.   
  
“You know, there’s an open spot on our team now because someone had to drop out. Out of the blue, too. Why don’t you join the league?” Jeongyeon asks casually, without missing a beat. 

Mina’s eyes widen. “What?” her and Jihyo both say in unison.  
  
  
Jihyo turns to face Jeongyeon with a bit of confusion on her face, before she narrows her eyes. 

“I’m sure you’re good enough to jump right back in,” Jeongyeon continues, ignoring Jihyo’s pointed glare. “I thought you might be a good addition to the team.” 

It’s preposterous. Mina lets out an amused yet flattered laugh. “I would probably be tripping over my own feet if I tried. I’m so rusty.”

  
“Somehow I highly doubt that,” Jeongyeon replies, standing up and slipping her soccer bag over her shoulder. “I’m sure Jihyo could reteach you the basics. Anyway, I need a shower. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Myoui.” Jeongyeon gives Mina a nod before she walks back toward the locker room. 

Jihyo huffs as her friend goes, leaving her with this obvious plot to get her to spend more time with Mina. But as Mina looks down at Jihyo again, Jihyo quickly presses her lips together and smiles. Knows she has no choice but to run with this now, as if it were something her and Jeongyeon discussed prior. “If you wanted, I could definitely help you practice. Get you right back into it, almost like you didn’t stop playing for a few decades. If you’re a fast learner, that is.” Jihyo shoots Mina a playful look. 

“I am,” Mina remarks, deadly serious, “but I’m far too busy.”

Jihyo puts on a fake frown. “Excuses, I see.”

Mina’s neutral exterior quickly melts into something offended. “Not excuses. Practicality. In case you haven’t forgotten, I’m the CEO of the top communications company in Korea.”

Jihyo rolls her eyes. “In other words, you just want to stay home and spend your nights playing video games as usual.”

“That is not true!” Mina whines. Jihyo notices the woman’s feet stomp like a child slightly and she has to bite back a laugh. “Is that really how you think I spend all my free time?” 

At Mina’s pout, Jihyo grins. “I don’t think, I _know._ I may have an inside source.”

Sana. Mina scoffs, annoyed at the close bond already forming between Sana and Jihyo. “Yes, I’ve been playing more often these days, but so what? As I recall you mentioned you play too.”

Jihyo shrugs, neither confirming nor denying. “Just one day with me? An hour of practice Wednesday night after work, before it gets dark. No one is using the field here at that time. Then, you can make up your mind after. What do you say?”

Biting her bottom lip, Mina thinks for a moment. One hour...she supposes it won’t hurt. A trial period of sorts. “Alright, fine. As long as I don’t have to work late on Wednesday—“

“Right, right,” Jihyo interrupts, knowing full well Mina would be free. She’s finished putting on her shoes so she stands and slings her bag over her shoulder just as Jeongyeon did. “See you here, Wednesday at 6:30.”

Mina sighs. “Fine. I’ll see you then.”

There’s an urge to hug...kiss...to do _something,_ but both girls just stand there for what feels like an awkward minute before Jihyo nods and heads off toward the locker room with the rest of her teammates.   
  


* * *

  
  
Nayeon’s been at work a lot lately, working on that project she’d told Mina about. To Sana, she simply chalked it up to something “super secret” and left it at that. Sana was curious, but knew her wife would not budge on giving her more information. She was good about that. 

One afternoon, when Mina is able to actually leave work early for once, she pays Nayeon a visit at her lab headquarters. It’s a building that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie—all windows and minimalism and geometric shapes. 

Mina loves to see Nayeon in her element. Glasses and lab coat on, looking like some kind of crazed scientist. She’s always been more of an idea person, so the lab coat is mostly just for show as she observes, but it’s cute nonetheless. Nayeon’s knowledge of several areas of science is unmatched. A borderline genius, Sana would always say. But Nayeon, humble and yet arrogant in that contradictory way of hers, would simply credit it to her many lifetimes. 

When Nayeon sees Mina approaching, her face instantly lights up, and Mina feels the same pang in her heart when she first saw Nayeon all those years ago. 

“You get out of work early today?” Nayeon asks after telling a team member she was stepping out for a few. Before Mina can respond, she loops an arm through Mina’s and begins to pull her further into the lab. 

“I did, and wanted to check up on you. See how you’ve been doing.”

Nayeon guides her past crowds of scurrying employees working on numerous different projects at once. “Oh you know, same as always. Not any closer to playing fate yet, but hoping we can get there.”  
  
  
“What’s your plan to conquer the otherworldly and unexplained? I mean scientists are still baffled and mystified by soulmates.”

“Well, our focus isn’t gonna be on the “magic” itself. We don’t need to focus on the why or the what, but simply the _how._ We’ve concluded that there must be something in our genes that allows us to stop aging temporarily, like a switch, that is flicked off when we turn 25, and on again when we make eye contact with our soulmate. If we can find a way to isolate that gene, and flip it ourselves, perhaps we can start up the aging process again. Maybe even tricking the brain into _thinking_ it sees its soulmate could work. If we can replicate the chemistry and—“

Nayeon realizes that she’s rambling and closes her mouth, but Mina besides her actually looks intrigued. “Nayeon...if you can actually do this…”

A loud bang originates from somewhere, interrupting Mina and making her jump about a foot in the air. Nayeon on the other hand doesn’t move an inch, like she’s used to it. 

“Sorry!” A voice calls out from somewhere, and Nayeon simply pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. 

Mina looks behind her, surveying the area, before her eyes settle on Nayeon again. “I’m slightly concerned about the safety of your workplace.”

Nayeon waves a hand dismissively. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” she assures. “That one’s just a bit clumsy, is all. You should know I take the safety of my employees very seriously!” They make it out of the lab and into a more office-like area surrounding it. “How have you been? It’s been a few days since I last saw you.” 

Beyond in-person communication, Mina rarely hears from Nayeon via text or call. The woman just isn’t a fan of using either. Ironic, considering Mina is the CEO of a communications company and all. 

“I’ve been doing okay,” Mina lies. Truthfully, things had not been getting easier for her. She knows she has to tell Nayeon the truth sooner or later, but there never seems like an ideal time to do so. Or at least, that’s the excuse Mina keeps making in her mind. “Busy with work mostly, but not quite as busy as you.” 

“You’ve seemed a bit different, recently,” Nayeon adds. “I can’t exactly put my finger on it.” She reaches out absentmindedly and smoothes down a bit of Mina’s hair that became frazzled on the car ride over. 

“I’d ask how so, but I guess you wouldn’t have the answer.”

Nayeon smiles at that. She can always count on Mina’s clever remarks. “I’ll pinpoint it soon and let you know.”

It’s slightly amazing to Mina that Nayeon can pick up on the change without knowing what’s going on. But then again, perhaps Mina isn’t doing as well of a job as hiding it as she thinks. After all, she is no actress. Sana was always the best at putting on a show. 

“Stick around for a bit and watch me work, then come home with me,” Nayeon instructs, grabbing the cuff of Mina’s right sleeve and tugging her closer. Mina feels her breath hitch as their bodies almost collide. And Nayeon’s smiling that smug smile, like she knows exactly what she’s doing to Mina. That smile that says she knows she’s gonna get exactly what she wants. 

Mina reaches up and slowly slides off Nayeon’s glasses, folding them up and then slipping them into the front pocket of Nayeon’s lab coat all in one fluid motion.

“Alright,” Mina says, looking Nayeon square in the eye. “But first…”

Taking Nayeon’s hand in her own, it’s Mina’s turn to tug her back. She pulls Nayeon toward her office determinedly, knowing exactly which way to go to find it. Mina has been there many times before, after all. 

Nayeon quickly opens and shuts the door behind them, making sure to lock it as she does. The lights stay off, and lucky for them the blinds are already all shut.   
  


* * *

  
Mina’s first practice session with Jihyo is tiring. She finds herself panting as Jihyo grins at her. 

“Getting tired already, old lady?”

Scoffing, Mina rolls up her shirt sleeves. “I’m not _old_. I’ve just been young for a long time. “

“Right,” Jihyo says, dribbling the soccer ball back and forth between her feet. “You did well for your first day back at it in fifty years.”

“Thanks,” Mina murmurs, brushing some sweaty strands of hair behind her ears. “There’s a lot of things I remembered today that I didn’t even realize I’d forgotten.”

The time before she stopped aging—when Mina was young and naïve and so looking forward to her future. Now, her future was here in the form of the girl staring back at her with her hands on her hips. 

“So what do you think? Does this make you want to join the league?” Jihyo looks at Mina expectantly. 

“I don’t know about that.” Mina takes a sip of her water bottle. “This was unexpectedly nice though. Just the two of us.”

There’s a beat as the two girls make eye contact again. Jihyo clears her throat and kicks the ball toward the goal, finding an excuse to get a little distance between her and Mina for a moment. 

It’s starting to take a toll on Jihyo, how badly she wants to kiss Mina. How badly she wants more from the girl who isn’t quite sure what she wants herself. That was normal, her friend Jeongyeon had assured her. Reminded Jihyo that there was no doubt Mina probably felt the same, just under wraps. 

But for now, Jihyo can’t act on anything. Not until she is sure Mina is ready. And so, she’ll have to wait. Even if it drives her slightly crazy, especially when Mina is right there, looking as flawless as ever. 

“We can keep practicing once a week. You can join at any time, really.” Jihyo calls as she runs back toward Mina with the retrieved ball. 

Mina presses her lips together for a moment, then nods. “Okay, we’ll try this again next week.”

Jihyo smiles widely, allowing her heart to flutter with hope.   
  


* * *

  
  
The next week, Jihyo is at work, eating in the break room instead of Mina’s office. The woman was out on a business lunch meeting with some associates. Mina had texted her this morning how much she was _not_ looking forward to it, but keeping up good relations was crucial. Jihyo didn’t need to even hope it was going well, she simply knew it was because it was Mina, and who would not be dazzled by her?

Across the table is a coworker of Jihyo’s who works in the design department—working on future designs for the company's products. Her name is Chaeyoung, and she’s just about the closest person Jihyo has to a friend at her office so far. Well, besides Mina that is. If she even counts.

Chaeyoung is young, quirky, and good at what she does. She’s been working at the company for a few months now, and prides herself with being plugged into all of the company drama. 

  
“Did you hear the rumor?” Chaeyoung asks, after taking a bite into her apple. Her eyes flicker around the room to make sure no one else is sitting too close to hear her.

Jihyo simply arches an eyebrow, intrigued. She’d never admit it, but she tends to eat the drama up. 

“There’s a rumor our CEO finally met her soulmate.” Chaeyoung says it with a bit of a smug smirk, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “Someone who works here.”

The girl is looking at Jihyo intently, but not closely enough to see Jihyo’s mouth twitch. “An employee?” Jihyo asks, playing dumb.

Chaeyoung leans in closer. “Yes, my friend Yeri heard from her friend Wendy who works at the front desk on Ms. Myoui’s floor that someone has been coming up to visit often. To be seen in Myoui’s office. _Alone_.” There’s another smug smirk, and Jihyo attempts to flatten any guilty expression by simply looking surprised, if not slightly interested. 

“Hm, with so many people working here it could be anyone,” Jihyo murmurs, and Chaeyoung’s shifty eyes go from left to right before settling on Jihyo again. 

“You’ve been up to Ms. Myoui’s floor a few times, haven’t you?” Chaeyoung’s eyes are innocent and non-accusatory, but slightly curious. 

“Once or twice, maybe,” Jihyo lies. 

“I still haven’t.” The other woman looks a bit sad. “I imagine it’s nice?”

Jihyo shrugs. “About the level of fancy you’d expect. Surprisingly minimalistic.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from a big tech company.” Chaeyoung leans back in her chair and picks at her salad. 

Luckily for Jihyo, Chaeyoung stops pressing then, and Jihyo can breathe again. She’s certain Mina doesn’t want this information public yet. After all, Jihyo isn’t even sure where she and Mina stand. 

She’d bring it up to Mina next time she saw her.   
  


* * *

  
  
When Jihyo sees Mina next, the woman is standing near the large ceiling to floor windows in her office, staring down at the city skyline. 

Jihyo clears her throat, and Mina jumps—apparently so lost in thought she did not hear Jihyo enter. “Sorry,” Jihyo says, noticing the girl’s slightly frazzled look. “A lot on your mind?”

Mina nods, and sits down at her desk, and Jihyo does the same on the chair facing it. “Busy day today,” is all Mina says, but Jihyo has a suspicion it isn’t work that is consuming her thoughts. 

They start eating the lunch Mina had delivered for them both. Jihyo offers to pay for her share, but Mina always turns her down, assuring her it’s no big deal. 

Jihyo is the first to break the comfortable silence. “At lunch the other day, my coworker mentioned there’s a rumor floating around the office.”

Mina looks up from her salad, eyebrows raised. 

“A rumor that you’d found your soulmate and that they’re an employee here.” 

A small sigh escapes Mina’s lips. She looks tired. “Well, people always talk. As if there isn’t enough excitement around here already.”

“I just wanted to give you a warning, in case you didn’t want anyone else to know,” Jihyo explains. 

Mina rests her chin in her hands. “Thank you. I suppose I don’t want anyone to think I’m giving you special treatment.” 

“All you’ve done so far is feed me,” Jihyo murmurs, with a small smile on her lips. 

Mina jabs her fork at Jihyo. “And that’s all you’re going to get!” she teases, smiling as well. 

After they’ve both gotten a few more bites of food in, Jihyo says: “Have you given it anymore thought?” It had almost been a month since they’d first met. Jihyo was hoping her soulmate might have figured out what she wanted for her future by now. A future for _them_ , together. 

Setting down her fork, Mina, adjusts her chair. “I have.” She pauses for a moment, biting her lip. “I’ve really liked practicing soccer again. And to be quite honest, I’m pretty sure I’ve already surpassed your skill level. I think joining your league would be fun, and present more of a challenge for me.”

That was not what Jihyo meant when she’d asked if Mina had given it anymore thought, but she brushes it off instantaneously because of Mina’s bold claim. “Surpassed _my_ skill level?” Jihyo scoffs, crossing her arms. “In your dreams! I can still run circles around you. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do yet, Ms. Myoui.” 

  
Hearing Jihyo refer to her by her surname catches Mina off guard. The smirk on her face falters slightly. “Please, call me Mina. I think we’re familiar enough to go by first names.” As she says this, she can feel the tips of her ears burn.   
  
“Mina.” Jihyo tests the name on her lips. It falls off them effortlessly. “I’ll let our coach know you’ll officially be filling our empty spot, I already gave her a heads up you’d be joining.”

Mina raises an eyebrow. “How did you know I’d want to join?”

Jihyo shrugs, grinning smugly. “Just had a feeling.” 

There’s no response Mina can think of to that, so she simply presses her lips together and nods. 

“But about us…” Jihyo begins, steering the subject back around to the direction she’d originally intended it to go. “I mean, you and me…” She clears her throat, eyes dropping down to the desk in front of her. “Have you decided yet on what you want to do?”  
  
Mina feels her stomach drop, taking a sharp inhale. Of course the question wasn’t out of left field—it was completely relevant and fair of Jihyo to ask. They’d been doing this awkward dance for a while now. It was enough time for Mina to know she _likes_ Jihyo.   
  
“I’ve been enjoying this. Getting to know you. But I don’t want to lose Sana and Nayeon, either. I _won’t_ lose them.” There’s determination in Mina’s voice. 

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know you too.” Jihyo wants to say she would like to know Mina _better_ . To know everything about her, and for Mina to understand her too. For them to share more than just conversation and meals. To be soulmates as they are meant to be, truly.   
  
But she doesn’t. 

“It’s selfish of me, isn’t it,” Mina says, seeing the look on Jihyo’s face. It’s not posed as a question, but rather a statement. “To want you and Sana and Nayeon too.” 

It’s nice to hear, finally. Mina does want her. It brings Jihyo an overwhelming sense of relief, even though there’s other names attached to that sentence. “It’s a unique situation,” Jihyo replies. “But selfish of you, no. Like I mentioned before, you’re happy, and I don’t want you to sacrifice that for me, someone you’ve known for such a short amount of time.” 

Mina swallows the lump building in her throat. “Thank you, Jihyo. For being nothing but understanding.” Again, the guilt is creeping in from both sides. Mina still feels trapped in the middle of some invisible, ugly thing. 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit out of my element with all this. But all I know is, when I’m with you, it feels…” Jihyo lips part, searching for the words. “... _right_. And I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose you either.” 

“I feel the same,” Mina assures. She lets the weight of the words linger. There’s no turning back now. 

The two women stare at each other. Mina lets her eyes drop down to Jihyo’s lips briefly before she abruptly clears her throat and turns away. 

“I have to tell Nayeon about you. I still haven’t yet,” Mina admits. The dread is growing now, inescapable. 

Jihyo hums in surprise. “You’ve been keeping it from her?”

“Nayeon can be...difficult. She’s been around much longer than I have. She’s been 25 for over two centuries now.”

Eyes widening, Jihyo lets out a small gasp. “God, I didn’t even realize that was possible. It must be so hard for her.”

“It is. Harder for her than she lets on, I think, because she’s lost a lot of people. So I’ve been hesitant to tell her because I know she’ll be hurt. Tremendously.”

It feels good for Mina to share this with someone besides Sana. Someone with an outside perspective, not intertwined with the three of them. 

Jihyo’s heart goes out to this woman who she has yet to meet. One she’s seen pictures of and has fleshed out with a combination of Mina’s little stories and her own imagination. 

“I hope she takes it well. I hope you’re both okay.” Across the desk, Jihyo reaches her hand out and takes Mina’s in her own. It’s the first time, they both realize, that they’ve physically touched. “I’m here for you, in any way you need me to be.”

Mina bows her head, chest swelling with gratitude. “Thank you.” She squeezes Jihyo’s hand. It feels as though she’s felt Jihyo’s hand in hers for a million lifetimes.   
  


* * *

  
The plans for Mina to tell Nayeon are made that weekend. She’ll be going to Nayeon and Sana’s penthouse for dinner that she offered to cook.

Sana makes an excuse to be out and about that day, having been given a heads up by Mina. The two of them have to be alone for this, figuring it out on their own. She knows Nayeon will be a mess afterward, the kind even she can’t console. 

Mina’s grown quite fond of the penthouse. She can see why Sana loves to stay here over their countryside estate. It’s not as grand, but it’s homier, and offers a view of the entire city spread out below them, like the world is theirs. 

It’s supposed to be just a normal night, and yet, when Mina arrives, there’s a tension in the air that feels almost unwelcoming. 

It’s as if Nayeon has sensed something is wrong, though Mina has tried her best to appear as though everything is normal. As if she hasn’t started aging again.

Mina makes one of her and Nayeon’s favorites. A meal she’d perfected after learning from Nayeon personally over the years. Nayeon is unusually quiet and so Mina tries her best to lighten the mood. 

If this is gonna be her last dinner with Nayeon, she wants to savor it. Wants to hear her girlfriend’s laugh, and to see her heart-melting grin. All Mina has to do is start laughing herself and Nayeon is already brightening up. The faraway look in her eyes leaves.

Nayeon is here with Mina. They are happy.

After a glass of wine and a few kisses, Mina debates perhaps pushing off telling Nayeon. It’s selfish of her, but she wants to hold onto this for as long as she can. The thought of Nayeon no longer wanting her is unbearable. 

She’s shaped her identity around Sana and Nayeon, after all. Not the core of her being, which is entirely independent, often too much so for Sana and Nayeon’s liking, but her expectations and desires. What she yearns for and distains. Even her habits. 

Sana and Nayeon rubbed off on Mina, permanently. There is no erasing them, and she doesn’t want to, ever. 

“You have that look in your eyes,” Nayeon murmurs. They’re sitting near the firepit on the expansive roof. It's a starless night. “When you’re dwelling on something.”

Mina shifts her position slightly. She has always been the one good at staying still, but now she feels restless. Like if she doesn’t stay in continuous motion her world will stop forever. “I was thinking about us,” she admits. “How different I was before I met you.”

At that, Nayeon smiles. “You were a timid little thing. But there was a fire inside of you. I saw it right away.”

What did that fire amount to, exactly? Mina wonders. Her wealth? Her career? Her love? 

“Sometimes I feel this is all a dream. This little portion of forever I carved out with you.”

Nayeon flashes back to her nightmare. Mina running away, always beyond her reach. She reaches out her free hand now, interlacing their fingers together. “It’s not a dream,” she tells Mina, but she also is assuring herself. Mina is here, besides her. Real. Warm. Lovely.

Mina feels her chest tighten so much that she can barely breath. She can feel tears threatening to spill if she isn’t careful. To steady herself, she squeezes Nayeon’s hand. Thrives in the familiarity of it. 

She can’t wait any longer. Nayeon deserves to know. Mina takes one last look at Nayeon’s shining eyes, and decides she is ready. 

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Mina begins. Trying her best to hide the fear hidden beneath each syllable. 

At the other girl’s seriousness, Nayeon’s eyes sparkle with curiosity. She takes her eyes off the orange flames and glances at her, sizing her up. Despite Mina’s best efforts, Nayeon can tell she is anxious. And maybe it’s in Mina’s hesitation, or the way that she won’t dare look at Nayeon directly in the eyes, but somehow Nayeon simply _knows._ She knows the words that Mina is struggling to get out of her mouth. 

And even the thought is too much for Nayeon to bear. She feels her world stand still, and her chest heaves with premature grief. 

“I met my soulmate,” Mina says. 

Nayeon’s ears are ringing unpleasantly. She’s staring at Mina but her eyes are blank. Hollow. 

In her mind she imagines Mina grinning at a girl whose face Nayeon doesn’t bother constructing. Another pretty girl, who makes Mina smile her brightest. But this smile is different, because Mina is truly happy—smiling the way she used to when Nayeon had first met the girl. Back when she was wide-eyed and hopeful. Back before time had hardened her just as it had Nayeon. 

There’s a flair of jealousy, of course. Mina has found the person meant for her. Fated by the universe. Tied together with invisible strings transcending time. And though Nayeon is a bitter person, the thought of Mina living in this blissful state while she herself continues on, alone, is not what makes her upset in the slightest. 

It’s the thought of life without Mina.   
  
  
Mina growing old before her eyes. Wrinkled and grey, but graceful as always. Then, having to attend another funeral. Feeling indescribable pain but managing to zip it up behind a straight face and lowered eyes. In her over two centuries of living, Nayeon had gone through it too many times, and it never got any easier.

“She’s one of my employees, actually,” Mina adds. Nayeon’s silence is too sharp and painful. “I met her last month at our yearly orientation. I thought I should be the one to tell you.” When Mina’s eyes finally flick upward, she’s startled to see a tear rolling down Nayeon’s face, all the more apparent in the crackling firelight. 

Mina is not used to seeing Nayeon like this—so vulnerable and sad. Sana spoke of it sometimes, being the only one who witnessed Nayeon fall apart over the years. Nayeon was good at keeping it under wraps otherwise. Burying her fears under layers of anger and indifference. 

For a moment, Mina thinks Nayeon might begin to sob, collapsing into her arms, and she welcomes it. Welcomes the thought of crying with her girlfriend because they’ve both been dealt a cruel hand, and overcoming it together. 

But then the moment fades as quickly as it began, and Nayeon’s sharp eyes are boring into Mina so cruelly that she can’t help but shiver, even by the warmth of the fireplace. 

“Why orchestrate this night and put on this charade then?” Nayeon demands, abruptly standing up and nearly knocking over her glass of wine. Unhinged, but doing her best to hide it. “As if nothing has changed? As if we’ll go on the same as we always have?”

A few decades ago, Mina would’ve flinched at Nayeon’s volume. But now she sits unafraid. Looking sympathetic, even. 

Nayeon tastes bile in her throat at the sight. How dare Mina look at her like _she’s_ the one who’s taken the hit? After all, Mina is the one whose immortality has slipped through her fingers. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your fleeting life,” Nayeon seethes, stomping out the door.   
  


* * *

  
Sana meant to leave Nayeon and Mina be that night, but her curiosity gets the better of her. She shoots Mina a simple text as she’s heading home to the penthouse after work. 

Sana: _How did it go?_

She thinks perhaps maybe Mina is sleeping, or the girl is simply ignoring her. Sana makes it home and still has not heard from her girlfriend, or Nayeon, who is nowhere to be found, for that matter. As she’s about to set down her phone down for the night, a message flashes before her eyes. 

Mina: _About as well as either of us expected it to._

Sana releases a small sigh. She knows that Nayeon will be erratic and volatile. Knows that Nayeon won’t be coming home tonight. 


End file.
